The lack of play spaces in the UK is as "damaging as the prevalence ofjunk food," claims Adrian Voce, director of the Children's Play Counciland Play England. The benefits of play are considerable, says Voce, whobelieves it can improve children's health and wellbeing and reducelevels of social exclusion, crime and anti-social behaviour.
Despite this, children's play spaces are still very much anafterthought, claims Issy Cole-Hamilton, the council's policy andresearch manager. "These play spaces need to be planned right from thebeginning," she says.
Cole-Hamilton believes many developers have just one mindset when itcomes to play areas, often just focusing on the traditional playgroundwith swings and slides. "They need to think about the different ages ofchildren and meet their different needs. It can be a grassy area withgoalposts or simply an area where children can jump in puddles when itrains," she says.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
