The Raising the Nation Play Commission is a year-long independent inquiry into why play is critical to the wellbeing and development of children, looking at how it can be restored to every childhood in England, is today (Wednesday June 11th – the International Day of Play) publishing its Final Report, ‘Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play’.
The report has major implications for the design of our built environment and will therefore be of interest to civic societies.
The report warns that cuts to clubs and playgrounds, busier roads, and increased fears among parents and children about safety, have left children with fewer safe places to play. As a result, children’s independence to play outside has shrunk dramatically over the last 30 years, impacting on their health and happiness and increasing screen time.
The report calls for the Government to establish a National Play Strategy, including new investment in play that is part-funded by the sugar tax; a Minister for Play; a ban on ‘No Ball Games’ signs; raising the digital age of consent to 16; restoring play to our education system including banning phones during the school day; and a statutory Play Sufficiency Duty for local authorities.
It urges the Government to set out a clear plan for creating playful neighbourhoods and for disrupting the addictive grip of digital devices on children’s lives.
The report says play should also be central to the Government’s strategies for boosting opportunity and growth, tackling the crisis in children’s physical and mental health, school readiness and attendance, and the increasing numbers of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET).