Sue Palmer: Time to teach about serious fun

“WHY DO you think there’s so much bullying now?” I asked the experts.

“Children aren’t out playing enough.”

“What about the decline in children’s physical co-ordination and control?” I asked specialists.

“They’re not out playing enough.”

“Why has children’s conceptual development gone into free-fall?” I
asked researchers.

“They’re not out playing enough.”

For ten years, I’ve been interviewing experts on various aspects of childhood about the increase in problems with children’s physical and mental health. Although there are many contributory factors, the most quoted reason was the decline in active, social, creative, independent play.

In other words, the kids aren’t out having fun with their pals any more.

The reasons are complex – adult paranoia due to media coverage of occasional tragedies, a huge increase in traffic, the ready availability of indoor entertainment… And the fewer children there are out in the community, the less tolerant of children adults become. Children need to play – it’s how they grow and learn. We adults have to make sure they get the time and the space to do it.


• Sue Palmer is author of Toxic Childhood and a member of the Scottish Government’s Early Years Task Force. www.suepalmer.co.uk