The survey of 2,000 parents, by property company Redrow, reveals that a lack of access to safe outdoor places could be responsible for the decline in childhood play.
“Two notable barriers to children’s outdoor play that parents recognise are road safety and lack of open spaces,” said Helen Dodd, a child psychologist and trustee of Play England, who supported the research.
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According to the findings, a third of children have never played on their street at all while those who do play outdoors spend 67 per cent less time doing so than their parents.
Increasing use of technology was highlighted as another factor responsible for the fall in outdoor play.
More than a third of parents expressed concern about their children spending too long on social media.
This is despite an awareness of the benefits associated with playing outside.
“Parents recognise that outdoor play is important for children’s physical health, mental health and social skills but we still see declines in this type of play,” said Dodd.
Among the parents surveyed, more than half said that they believe it helps children to develop social skills, boost mental health and reduce screen time.
Researchers also found a fall in children participating in traditional games. Conkers was played by just 16 per cent of children, down from 37 per cent in their parents’ generation.
The findings come amid Redrow’s Please Play Here campaign which was designed to encourage time outside over summer.
