10 | Play for Wales | Spring 2021
Playing outside in
settings
Providing plenty of opportunities to play outside is a key step in ensuring children benefit from a healthy and happy childhood. Access to playing outdoors is largely dictated by the opportunities that adults and settings give children. Playing outdoors contributes toward agility, balance, creativity, social co-operation, concentration and good emotional health. Children have always benefitted from access to the outdoors and natural world and it is incredibly important right now as we learn to live with the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. More and more parents are seeking child centred settings which enable children to play for prolonged periods of time in rich play environments. Children’s opportunities for playing in all settings are dependent on a wide range of issues, which are arranged across three themes: • Permission: fear, expectations, tolerance, and the way adults view childhood and play • Space: the amount, design and management of space • Time: how time is structured and the obligations children have on their time.
Permission Children need permission from carers to play outdoors. Parents and carers are subject to powerful and sometimes contradictory messages about keeping children safe and busy. However, this should not result in a child not being allowed access to play outdoors. The benefits of playing outdoors greatly outweigh any risks. • Encourage staff to be enthusiastic about outdoor play – don’t dismiss it as frivolous and a waste of time. • Engage with parents so that they understand the setting’s commitment to outdoor play and why it is being prioritised. • Take a balanced approach to managing risk in children’s play – strict rules like ‘no running’ and ‘no ball throwing’ undermines the immediate benefits of playing.
