Today is National Playday organised by Play England and the weather has turned out just right for children to get out into the fresh air. Here is Play England's message about today:
Playday
has gone from strength-to-strength since its inception in London in
1987, when the first events were held to raise awareness about the
effects of cuts to local play services. Today, over 600 celebrations
are happening across the UK to give children and young people a
fun-filled day, and to continue to demonstrate the importance of play
for children, families and whole communities.
A survey commissioned to support the Playday 2013 Playful places campaign
has revealed that traffic, fear of strangers and intolerant neighbours
are preventing children from playing outdoors. Additionally, over 50% of adults reported playing out at least seven times a week when they were growing up, compared to less than a quarter of children (23%) today, with 40% of children saying they want to play out more.
However, the survey shows that play has the power to bring communities together; with 40% of adults saying that children playing out where they live improves community spirit,
and almost half (45%) saying it helps families to get to know each
other. All it takes is one or two families to take the first step; with
60% of parents saying they would feel confident to let their kids play
out if others were playing too.
So for Playday 2013, we're calling on everyone to help make sure that children have the freedom and space to play out where they live by:
- Spreading the word about the campaign - tell everyone you know about Playday - Facebook it, Tweet it (#Playday2013) and talk about it!
- Getting involved locally - get together with others in your community to think about how you can make the places where you live great places for kids to play.
- Encouraging decision-makers to commit to play - contact your local MP and Councillors and encourage them to take account of children's play needs when making decisions about your local area.
The Playful places campaign is calling on everyone to help make sure that the places where children play and hang out are great places to play.
The campaign recognises that:
The campaign recognises that:
- Children should feel welcomed where they live and feel part of their communities.
- Parents want their children to be able to play outside.
- Public space should be designed and managed with children's play in mind.
- Children and young people need to be involved in planning the places and spaces where they play.
