A CAMPAIGN has been launched to provide more opportunities for play after a survey showed computers, consoles, tablets or mobile phones are the most popular way for children to have fun.
The research, which highlights the changing nature of children’s play in the UK also found that while 55 per cent of children said they prefer to play outside, over a third of parents (34 per cent) said they felt that it was safer for their children to play indoors.
More than half of parents (52 per cent) said that their children don’t play as much as they did as children and nearly three quarters of parents (73 per cent) said they played more outside than their children. The online survey of parents and their children aged 6 to12 was carried out by YouGov for BBC Children in Need and Asda to launch the Power of Play campaign.
The campaign aims to highlight the importance of play in childhood development while raising money to help BBC Children in Need give 30,000 disadvantaged children and young people across the UK the opportunity to develop vital life skills through play.
Simon Antrobus, BBC Children in Need’s chief executive said: “For some children, opportunities to play can be limited, and yet play is a fundamental building block in children’s development.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here