We are a growing nation, horizontally that is! With obesity reaching epic proportions in the UK it is little wonder that we are being urged to get ourselves and our children out there and get active! When I was a littler person we spent every moment of our free time climbing walls and trees and charging around outdoors exploring our environment and making strange fantasy lands out of wasteground. Today’s generation of little people are being wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap and cotton wool and are being positively discouraged from climbing anywhere! A new survey by ICM claims that overly cautious parents in the UK are preventing their children from getting active and learning valuable life skills as they play. The statistics are frankly astonishing.
• 51% of children aged 7-12 are not allowed to climb trees without a grown up present.
• 49% of children aged 7-12 are simply not allowed to climb trees at all because it is so dangerous!
• 21% of the surveyed children were banned from playing conkers
• An amazing 17% of children were not allowed to play chase games!
70% of the adults questioned in the poll claimed that their greatest adventures while growing up were had outdoors, in woods, or near rivers. This is in stark contrast to the 29% of children today who said the same.
Adventurous play outdoors, away from molly-coddling parents, is exciting and challenging for children and helps them to develop crucial life skills that they will rely on in later life. They emerge from their adventures better equipped to face challenges and stressful situations in adult life. The also come home physically tired out and are unwittingly getting fit in the process.
The survey was published to co-incide with Playday. Playday is an annual celebration of every child’s right to play. Events have been taking place all week to mark Playday (6th August) all over the country. Personally, I will be taking The Witchlings to Marine Hall, Fleetwood on Saturday the 9th of August for a fun packed play day including a Giant Wii, Circus Skills, Dance and Drama Workshops and Football Skills to name but a few.
So come on parentals! Let’s take off a few layers of bubble wrap and allow our kids to breathe a bit freer in the fresh air! You remember how to climb a tree or build a den? Then it’s time to pass on the knowledge to the next generation before the craft of skinning knees and bumping elbows becomes lost to RSI and eye strain from games consoles and computer screens!

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