London Play

Working for a capital where all children can play

Recession leads to resurgence in outdoor play

24 April 2012

Hot on the heels of the Ribena report on play last week, comes more play research from food brand Arla.

But while the Ribena study revealed parents' 'crisis of confidence' when it comes to playing with their children, the Arla 'Kids Closer to Nature' report yields more positive findings. Its survey of 1,250 parents revealed that 44 per cent of school age children are spending more time playing outside now than they did two years ago.

The research suggests that the recession is responsible for this resurgence in outdoor play, driven by cost-conscious parents who recognise that a day out in the park is a cheap alternative to other forms of entertainment such as the cinema.

While this will be heartening news for play campaigners - and in particular, the National Trust which has recently been bemoaning the 'dramatic decline' in children's relationship with the outdoors - the survey demonstrates that there is work still to be done. It found many traditional outdoor activities are foreign territory for children, with only 55 per cent having climbed a tree and 59 per cent having flown a kite. This compares with 65 per cent who own a television or DVD play and 68 per cent who own a computer games console.

Further, about half of children have never built a den and just under half can play a skipping rope game.

Report author and play campaigner Tim Gill told the BBC: "The good news is that families are realising that fresh air costs nothing. Getting under the open sky - whether in a local park or the great British countryside - is the perfect way for kids to explore, have adventures and feed their curiosity and imagination."