Barnardo’s Scotland and Play Scotland today welcomed the huge
support from MSPs for improving play opportunities for children in
Scotland.
A motion called The Importance of Play, tabled by Kenneth Macintosh,
Labour MSP for East Renfrewshire and signed by 78 MSPs, is set to be
debated this afternoon.
Barnardo’s Scotland and Play Scotland called on the Executive to
develop a play strategy with the aim of giving every child across
Scotland access to a safe, accessible and challenging play environment.
The charities believe that play is not only extremely important for
children’s personal and social development, but is one of the simplest
ways to overcome many of today’s youth problems like childhood obesity,
anti-social behaviour, under-age drinking and mental health problems.
Efforts to improve play can be as simple as providing a swing park,
marking out some football pitches or leaving good open space for
children to run around, said the charities.
Barnardo’s Scotland policy officer John Watson said: “One of the
simplest yet most important things we can do for our children is give
them the time and the space to play. Yet the opportunities for play are
diminishing as streets are increasingly becoming dominated by cars and
new developments gobble up our remaining green space. In the UK, there
are now 80 acres of golf courses for every one acre of child’s play
area.”
Margaret Westwood, chair of Play Scotland, said: “Providing for
children's play needs should be a priority throughout Scotland, but at
present the importance of play, and particularly unstructured play, in
the healthy development of all our children is not universally
recognised. Significant progress in providing sufficient play
opportunities can only be achieved through a clear policy statement
which is under-pinned by a strategic national implementation plan.”
Children’s Commissioner Kathleen Marshall said: “The United Nations
has recognised that children have a right to play. It is a right that
is serious, even if not necessarily solemn, and it is important that
its seriousness is reflected in the way the country is organized. I
fully support the calls for a play strategy and am heartened by the
extent of political support for it.”
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