“Mum! I’m heading outside to see who’s around to play…”
This familiar call echoes from the front door as my six-year-old son, a whirlwind of energy, scrambles to gather his football boots, gloves, jumper, and, if I’m lucky, his coat. His mission? To knock on as many doors as possible in search of a fellow adventurer eager to play. We’re fortunate to live in a part of London blessed with (rare) communal gardens, a haven where many local kids can experience the joys of outdoor play.
These gardens are more than just patches of green; they are the backdrop for countless adventures and the source of friendships. As my son races out the door, I call after him: “Don’t talk to strangers! And watch out for reversing Amazon vans!” but really, I can’t help but smile, knowing he’ll be back in an hour clothes covered in mud with scraped knees; the kind of freedom that only comes from playing outside unsupervised.
These moments of unstructured play feel like gold.
In an increasingly risk-averse world, where screens often dominate our children’s attention, these moments of unstructured play feel like gold. They teach resilience, creativity, and the art of negotiation. Watching my son navigate these social landscapes, I see him grow more confident and independent. The recently published underscores this, highlighting that agility, resilience, and flexibility are top priorities for employers when looking for the right people to join their team.Â
Where better to embed these critical social and problem-solving skills than through unstructured play in childhood? Getting knocked down by a slightly older kid – picking yourself up – knowing it will be OK, seems like a solid foundation for most FTSE100 companies.
Jonathan Haidt’s popular book, The Anxious Generation, argues that overprotective parenting and the pervasive presence of social media has created an environment where girls, particularly, are less able to navigate social challenges independently.
He explores the rise in anxiety and depression among adolescents, attributing it to a combination of reduced free play and increased screen time that has “rewired” childhood (Haidt, 2024). While it’s challenging to draw definitive conclusions about causality (see Dr Margarita Panayiotou’s critique), I am persuaded by the power of outdoor play in helping children to emotionally regulate and judge risk.
It’s about giving children the chance to play independently, rather than having adults guide them.
There’s plenty of research-led resources for schools on the importance of adventurous play and how to facilitate this in school settings, particularly in primary education. While “adventurous” might make you think of kids pushing their boundaries and feeling a bit scared, it can also mean simply exploring new materials or letting kids start their own play and challenges.
It’s all about giving children the chance to play independently, rather than always having adults guide them. Dr Rachel Nesbit (whose current research examines the links between adventurous play and childhood anxiety) suggests that schools should invest in moveable items like crates and tyres instead of fixed playground structures to really boost creativity and teamwork.
When I share with other parents my excitement for my 3-year-old daughter to reach my son’s age and revel in the same freedoms, I’m often met with looks of disbelief. Yet, I remain steadfast in my beliefs, fully aware that overprotection can stifle children’s ability to tackle adversity and face challenges head-on later in life.
Schools should invest in moveable items like crates and tyres instead of fixed playground structures.
It is vital for schools to impress this on parents so they can make sure children enjoy the opportunity to learn, make mistakes and pick themselves up again outside of the school setting.
I’m eagerly counting down the days until Spring, when the evenings grow lighter, and my kids can revel in even more outdoor adventures.
1. Nesbit, R., Bagnall, C. L., Harvey, K. and Dodd, H. F. ‘Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Adventurous Play in Schools: A Qualitative Systematic Review’, Children 8 (2021), pp. 1-25.
