By becoming overly safe, kids have lost space to explore world

Play is a right of children and fundamental for their growth. Even as Article 31 of the UN convention on the children’s right to play supports this right, spaces and opportunity for free play among children are increasingly reducing.   

Experts associated with the International Play Association (IPA), Cynthia Gentry, Kathy Wong, Robyn Monro-Miller, Puneeta Roy and Sudeshna Chatterjee deliberated on how mental and physical growth and development of social skills are all impacted by access to play during JLF.

The experts expressed concern over large number of youngsters being denied right to free play, recreation, unmonitored children activities and play without expected learning outcomes. This they felt was due to shrinking play spaces and child friendly environments.

Robyn Monro-Miller, President of the IPA termed parental overseeing as a threat to free play. “Adults in their bid to be helpful become so involved that it becomes adult play. What they need to practice is passive neglect where they step back and play take place. We don’t have to be there for good play to happen,” emphasised Monro-Miller.

Kathy Wong, Executive Director of Playright Children’s Play Association, Hong Kong, said pressures of urban living have created situations where parents do not have the time to play read and spend time with their children.  

Cynthia Gentry member of Executive Board of IPA and a designer of free play spaces questioned rationale of creating extra safe play spaces. “Children will play anywhere. By becoming overly safe, children have lost the space to explore the world.”

Citing example of Jaipur the speakers said a city that was planned hundreds of years ago had open spaces that provide for play. India has a 472 million population of children which is the largest in the world. For the first time policy makers have realised the need of play for all round development of a children through the National Plan for Action for Children 2016.