New computer model reveals ‘staggering’ cost of childhood inactivity
Increasing the physical activity levels of American children would save trillions of dollars in healthcare costs and increased productivity, reveals a new study. Adrian Voce reports. A new study of the long-term impact of inadequate physical...Read more
New book celebrates American play movement
A new book published by the Alliance for Childhood documents the steady rise of the free play movement in North America Projects, initiatives and advocacy for children’s play is on the rise across the North American...Read more
Bringing cities alive for children
The big UK-based planning and design consultants, Arup held a specialist workshop on 15 February on the theme of child-friendly cities. Adrian Voce reports. An invited group of around 50 professionals including planners, architects, landscape architects...Read more
Everything to play for
Introducing more play space to cities can help tackle health, societal and environment issues, says Samuel Williams of the planning and design specialists, Arup. We need to take play seriously. We need to take play seriously...Read more
Scottish children ‘play on pedals’
Play on Pedals, a national partnership project in Scotland that aimed to give every preschool child in Glasgow, the country’s largest city, the opportunity to learn to ride a bike before starting school, has published its...Read more
London museum opens ‘Child’s Play’ exhibition by artist Mark Neville
The Foundling Museum in central London tomorrow launches a major new project, Child’s Play, centred on an exhibition of photographs by the artist Mark Neville. The exhibition will run until 30 April 2017, and be accompanied...Read more
UK experts call for government action on children’s screen time
A group of leading authors, educationalists and child-development experts in the UK has called on the government to establish official guidelines on children’s screen time, and for society as a whole to give children more...Read more
How can we ensure the right to play for disabled children in Scotland?
Disabled children are more likely to be financially and socially disadvantaged than their non-disabled peers and, with child poverty in Scotland on the rise, their right to play and enjoy their own cultural lives is...Read more
Resilience: connecting young people with nature
A resilient city is one where young people have easy access to nature and outdoor play, argues Samuel Williams of the planning and design company, Arup. Here, her explains why it is time for designers to...Read more
London museum to showcase children’s play in new exhibition
The artist and photographer Mark Neville in collaboration with the Foundling Museum in central London is to stage a new exhibition of original photographs of children playing in different contexts. The exhibition will be accompanied by a...Read more
Isle of Man nature charity plans extensive new wild play area
The Manx (Isle of Man*) Wildlife Trust (MWT), has held a survey of how often children on the island play in the countryside as part of its planning for an exciting new wild play project on the island Tim...Read more
Osteria Ai Pioppi. If you want to play, you have to push and sweat
Bruno Ferrin is the inventor and creator of an ecological park in Nervesa della Battaglia, in the province of Treviso, in Italy. The particularity of this park, for children and adults both, is that there...Read more
Seattle neighbors close streets for play time
A unique program to encourage kids to play outside is really taking off in parts of Seattle. It’s called “play streets” and it allows neighborhoods to turn away cars in favor of play time. One block of...Read more
Research: Making the case for investing in playwork provision
A recent study in Wales has concluded that every £1 invested in playwork returned £4.60 in immediate and deferred social benefits (The Means, 2016). Mike Barclay from Wrexham Play Development Team and Marianne Mannello from Play...Read more