‘Children need the freedom to play on driveways and streets again – here’s how to make it happen’ - @ConversationUK theconversation.com/children… In many places, children’s freedom to roam has been diminishing for generations, but the pandemic has hastened the decline of this free play. Since the pandemic, children’s physical activity has become ever more structured. It now mostly happens in after-school or sports clubs, while informal, child-led play continues to decline. In many cases, children don’t have easy access to purpose-built spaces like playgrounds. They need adults to get them there. Without the use of more informal spaces to spend time with other children, this means they often lack daily opportunities for play. Play – and especially unstructured opportunities for play – is essential for children. Beyond providing opportunities for physical activity, play is good for children’s development. It helps them to push boundaries, find ways of exploring friendships and resolving conflicts, and to stretch their imagination and creativity. Finding ways to encourage children to play in places such as driveways, courtyards, and on their streets can also help with their independence in the outdoors. Social structures that build trust and make places feel safe can unlock the freedom for unstructured play. But investment from local and central government is needed to support unstructured play, too. playengland.org.uk/strategy #ItAllStartsWithPlay #EverythingToPlayFor #PlaySufficiency #NationalPlayStrategy #UNCRC #Article31 #PlayStreets #StreetPlay #FreePlay #HomeZones

‘Call for 'No Ball Games' signs to be scrapped as play being 'squeezed out of childhoods' - @SkyNews news.sky.com/story/call-for-… A year-long inquiry has concluded that play is being "squeezed out of childhoods with drastic implications for children, our economy and public services". The report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry says urgent action is needed to create more opportunities for children to play outdoors and away from digital devices. Its recommendations include: • Child-friendly, playful neighbourhoods;
• A national ban on ‘No Ball Games’ signs;
• A school ban on smartphones during the school day;
• Raising the age of digital consent from 13 to 16, restricting children from opening online accounts;
• Tougher regulations to tackle the ‘addictive grip of smartphones and social media’. Closures of playgrounds, busier roads, shortened school break times and the dominance of screen time have restricted children's opportunities to play, according to the report. The commission is urging the government to establish a National Play Strategy for England, backed by an annual £125m investment and led by a ‘minister for play’. It brought together 19 expert commissioners to conduct a year-long inquiry into how play can be restored to every childhood in England. Full report: 📖 centreforyounglives.org.uk/n… #EverythingToPlayFor #PlayCommission #NationalPlayStrategy #PlaySufficiency #ItAllStartsWithPlay #KnowBallGames #RightToPlay #UNCRC #Article31

Big moment for play! 🛝 Working closely with @PlayEngland, @TomHayesBmouth MP has officially tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. It calls for a statutory Play Sufficiency duty to be embedded in planning law. 📜 bills.parliament.uk/bills/39… This isn’t just about planning. It’s about childhood. The amendment would require local planning authorities to assess, secure, enhance and protect sufficient opportunities for children’s play across formal and informal spaces, streets, neighbourhoods, parks, schools and more. ✅ Play Sufficiency Assessments included in Local Plans ✅ No net loss of play spaces through development ✅ Developer contributions for inclusive, high-quality, accessible play opportunities ✅ Meaningful consultation with children, families and communities This builds on the momentum Play England has created. From securing formal play space recognition in the NPPF to leading national advocacy for a Play Sufficiency duty, we are working to shift policy into law. Read our formal evidence submission that shaped the amendment ⤵️ 🔗 playengland.org.uk/newsblog/… Because children don’t just need homes. They need a childhood. And it all starts with play. The time for systemic change is now! #ItAllStartsWithPlay #PlaySufficiency #NationalPlayStrategy #RightToPlay #UNCRC #Article31 #ChildhoodMatters #PlanningReform #LocalPlans #SystemChange

‘Seventeen years on: why England needs a new National Play Strategy’ - @BDonline bdonline.co.uk/opinion/seven… Just over seventeen years ago, the last Labour government launched England’s first, and only, National Play Strategy. Developed in partnership with @PlayEngland, the strategy was bold, ambitious and forward-thinking. Backed by £235 million, it aimed to create 3,500 new play spaces across every local authority, including 30 staffed adventure playgrounds. More than just playgrounds, it set out to embed play into planning, housing, schools, transport and public space. And, crucially, it recognised play as a right, not a luxury, vital to children’s health, happiness and development. But just two years later, the coalition government pulled the plug on play. Adventure playgrounds disappeared. Playworkers were forgotten. Playgrounds rotted. Inequality deepened. And children have been paying the price ever since. Seventeen years. That is an entire childhood, from birth to adulthood, without any national commitment to play. That is why Play England boldly continue our call for a new National Play Strategy, this time underpinned by Play Sufficiency legislation. We can and must do better, for our children and future generations. On 13 May, we launched Play England’s new organisational strategy — It All Starts with Play! — at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by @TomHayesBmouth MP. We brought together over 150 senior figures, MPs, peers, sector leaders, funders and decision-makers, to put play back where it belongs: at the heart of public life. playengland.org.uk/strategy The event also marked the launch of a new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play (@APPGonPlay), a cross-party coalition of Parliamentarians committed to building long-term political will and accountability around children’s right to play. This was not just a launch. It was a turning point, for children, for play and for Play England. #ItAllStartsWithPlay #PlaySufficiency #NationalPlayStrategy #UNCRC #Article31 #AdventurePlaygrounds #Playgrounds #NPPF #PlanningForPlay #PlaySpace