The Power of Playgrounds
A campaign to champion the UK's playgrounds
New analysis by leading play expert Professor Helen Dodd shows that children who spend more time playing in playgrounds are happier and have better mental health and wellbeing. It also confirms that playgrounds are the number one place young children play away from home.
Children spend less time outdoors and face mounting pressures on their mental health. Now is the time to recognise the power of playgrounds.
Through Playground Power, we are highlighting the essential role of playgrounds and calling for greater investment in high-quality, inclusive play spaces for all children.
Summary of Findings
This report examines data about playground play collected as part of the British Preschool Children’s Play Survey. It examines how playground play in children aged 2-4 is related to their mental health and wellbeing. The results show that playgrounds are a key part of young children’s play environments all year round but especially in the summer, with 83% of children using a playground once a week or more in the spring/summer.
There are striking inequalities though, with 5% of 2-4 year olds spending less than 10 hours a year playing on playgrounds. Local level factors likely influence young children’s access to and use of playgrounds. The results also showed that more frequent use of playground over the spring/summer is linked to better child wellbeing and mental health across multiple measures.
Overall, the research shows that playgrounds are a key part of young children’s outdoor play lives and that more outdoor play on playgrounds corresponds to happier, healthier preschoolers.
Key Takeways
