London Play is calling on the next Mayor of London to make the capital the best city in the world to grow up in, by ensuring every child has the space, time, and freedom to play outside, near to where they live.

Play is so vital for children that it is a universally recognised human right, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The next Mayor of London could lead the way for children by following our Five Ways to a Playful London:

1: Implement a London-wide strategy for play
To set the capital on course to be the most playful city in the world by 2030.

2: Act to promote, protect and celebrate London’s unique adventure playgrounds
London is the adventure play capital of the world. Its 72 surviving staffed adventure playgrounds are part of the city’s unique heritage, and must be preserved for the benefit of current and future  generations of Londoners.

3: Enforce the recommendations set out in the London Plan relating to the quantity, quality, and accessibility of play provision.
Too many play areas built as part of new developments are tick box exercises – unimaginative and depressing.

4: Continue working to reduce the speed and volume of traffic on all roads so that children can access all their daily needs safely and independently.
Continue to use Car Free Day as an opportunity for Londoners to experience their own streets as spaces for playful community interaction.

5: Appoint a young Mayor for Play
Ensure that children in London have their views heard and acted on in relation to the decisions that affect their lives. Appoint a young person as Mayor of Play, supported by children from across the city.