Time for kids to fall over
A leading playground designer has criticised health and safety rules that, they say, creates sterile play environments.Douglas Belfield, director at playground designer Record RSS says, “Fears over health and safety have left the UK with uninspiring playgrounds. We are championing the fact that playgrounds – by their very nature – need to be challenging and risky in order to attract children to go back again and keep trying. It is fine for kids to fall over!
“Government intervention and our nanny state is damaging our children’s development. This will have a lasting impact as they go through life. If we are not careful, we will become a completely risk averse country to the detriment of our growth and prosperity.”
Mr Belfield's comments follow the results of a YouGov survey commissioned by Record RSS, which suggests that children today are increasingly being wrapped up in cotton wool.
The survey of 1960 adults revealed that 83% believe today’s children miss out on play - without adult supervision - because of concerns about their safety. The research also reveals that parents understand the value of play, with 71 per cent of adults wanting children to be challenged and motivated through unsupervised play.
Mr Belfield continues: “Our research findings highlight a concern that today’s children are missing out on unsupervised play, a critical part of their mental and physical development. Incorporating risk is an important aspect of growing up. We develop from learning by our mistakes and pushing our boundaries and this has to start in childhood.
“Whilst Record RSS welcomes the fact that Government is investing in playgrounds, with £235 million committed over the next three years, we would argue that the over zealous focus on health and safety by nervous councils could misdirect the way the money might be spent. As a result, we have some of the most sterile, boring and unchallenging playgrounds in Europe.”
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood comments, “Adults are right to be worried. For healthy physical and mental development, children need first-hand real-life experiences – and since time immemorial they’ve got these experiences through free-ranging loosely-supervised outdoor play. In our increasingly risk-averse society freedom to play has been massively curtailed. Instead, today’s children spend an average of 5 hours 20 minutes a day staring at screens. As a society, we urgently need to reverse this trend. So it's no good just being worried - communities have to act to
ensure this and future generations of children get the healthy outdoor play that's every child's birthright.”
David Ball, Professor of Risk Management, Middlesex University comments: "There is a gathering view that British children and young people no longer have a good childhood. Their lives are dominated by time spent at home, in organised activities, and motor transport. The days of playing freely and imaginatively with friends and without adult intrusion have been severely curtailed. These changes have resulted in part from concerns about safety, but what is often overlooked are the health benefits, physical and emotional, of play, and the valuable experience of making one's own choices. Children and young people need these opportunities to learn about life and its dangers, otherwise they will find it all the more difficult to survive the challenges of adulthood."
11 August 2008
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