RESTORING PLAY

The final report of the Raising the Nation Play Commission was published in June. PlayNation spoke to industry leaders for their views on the report, which outlines measures designed to restore play into every childhood

The Raising the Nation Play Commission published its final report in June, following a year-long inquiry into play and childhood in England. The report calls on the government to create a cross-departmental National Play Strategy and put in place a statutory “play sufficiency duty” for local authorities. Called Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play , the report warns that cuts to clubs and playgrounds, busier roads and increased fears among parents and children about safety, have left children with fewer safe places to play. As a result, children’s independence to play outside has shrunk dramatically over the last 30 years, impacting on their health and happiness and increasing screen time.

Outdoor play has declined by 50% in a generation, and children travel shorter and shorter distances independently. New polling commissioned by the inquiry shows over half of parents (55%) believe their youngest child plays outside less than they did when they were children.

The report says that to tackle the decline in play, there is a need to establish a National Play Strategy, which should include a commitment to new investment in play that is part-funded by the sugar tax. The strategy should also feature plans for a Minister for Play, a ban on ‘No Ball Games’ signs, raising the digital age of consent to 16, restoring play to our education system including banning phones during the school day and a statutory Play Sufficiency Duty for local authorities.

Play should also be central to the Government’s strategies for boosting opportunity and growth, tackling the crisis in children’s physical and mental health. Among its main recommendations is the creation of a new, cross-departmental National Play Strategy for England with a 10 year vision, led by a Minister with responsibility for Play. This should be backed by an annual budget of £125 million to the end of this parliament, part-funded by measures including the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and unspent funds currently held by councils and collected from developers to mitigate the impact of new developments.

There is also a call for developing child-friendly neighbourhoods as part of reviving a culture which embraces play and childhood independence. This, the report says, would also give parents the confidence to “allow their children to play again”.

The Raising the Nation Play Commission was launched in June 2024 and is chaired by entrepreneur and campaigner Paul Lindley OBE – founder of Ella’s Kitchen, the UK’s biggest baby food business. It has worked in partnership with former Children’s Commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives think tank and has been advised by a panel of leading experts.

Tom Hayes

Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East Whether I’m meeting parents, teachers, or young people in Bournemouth, the message is clear when I mention play: children need more time and space to do it. This report makes a compelling, evidence-based case for action, with the kind of solutions we can get behind at both national and local levels.

I’ve been working alongside experts like Play England to put play back on Parliament’s agenda. We’ve taken the issue to the Commons, to No. 10, and even turned the Palace of Westminster into the ‘House of Play’. We’ve secured assurances from ministers that they’ll work with me on embedding play in planning and national policy. Thanks to this report, our mandate to keep pushing has got even stronger.

Richard Shaw

CEO Sports and Play Construction Association he Play Commission report not only lays out clearly why play is criticalTto the wellbeing of children, it also rightly highlights the worrying trend in playground closures and a lack of money for public play facilities. I say trend – the decline in the investment in play is nothing new. Play has been neglected by both successive governments and local authorities for nearly two decades.

The report lays out a strong case why there must be sufficient time built into the curriculum to allow children the time to play and to socialise. Schools are at the centre of children’s lives and it is where great habits – such as physical activity and play – can be learnt. Play that’s embedded into teaching has been proven to stimulate brain capacity, improve social and emotional skills and boost concentration levels.

However, there should be opportunities for children to play in a meaningful way wherever – and whenever – possible. Not just at school. Play is a crucial component of every child’s development. All children and young people should have access to free, high quality, local opportunities for play.

It is also great to see the report underline the important relationship between play and community. Having spaces to play can help enable connections and enhance social cohesion. It can bring communities together and instigate community conversations. The erosion of play spaces, which has taken place over the past few decades, can be reversed. Children deserve safe, inclusive and engaging spaces in which they can play, learn and explore.

The report comes at an opportune time for the sector, as there is now real momentum behind pushing play up the political agenda. Play England recently published its new 10-year strategy and, in Tom Hayes MP, we have an engaged champion in Westminster.

For play spaces to be safe, inclusive and attractive, they need to be designed, built and maintained to a high standard. This is where SAPCA and its members play a huge role, because only companies that have demonstrated a proven track record and trading history can become SAPCA members. By working with SAPCA member companies, those developing play spaces can be safe in the knowledge that they are trusting their projects to specialist contractors with the necessary expertise and experience to deliver to the highest industry standards.

Policy

Eugene Minogue

Executive Director Play England he report sets out a compelling and urgentTcase for placing play back at the heart of public policy – and childhood itself. This is not just another policy report – it is a call to arms, and a moment of reckoning for a country that has increasingly sidelined its children’s need to play. The report doesn’t just diagnose the problem – it offers a practical, evidence-informed roadmap for systemic recovery. It proposes a new, cross-departmental National Play Strategy, led by a Minister for Play and backed by a £125 million annual investment fund, sourced through mechanisms such as the sugar levy and unspent developer contributions. It puts forward bold measures to address the digital displacement of play – including banning smartphones in schools, raising the digital age of consent to 16, and regulating addictive app features targeted at children.

The report also calls for a national ban on ‘No Ball Games’ signs, the restoration of play within the school day, and planning reforms to make play an expected and essential feature of every neighbourhood. This is a joined-up framework to embed play as a public good – not a policy afterthought.

At Play England, we fully support the report and its recommendations, which echo the core proposals we set out in our 2024 manifesto – a new National Play Strategy for England, a statutory Play Sufficiency duty for local authorities and a £125 million annual investment in play.

These are not abstract demands. They are practical, evidence-based measures that would give every child the time, space, freedom, and opportunity to play – and help reverse rising childhood inactivity, poor mental health, school disengagement, and social isolation.

Together, the report and our own It All Starts with Play! strategy offer a clear and credible route map: from fragmented and underfunded provision to a coherent national system that protects, promotes, and plans for play — in law, in policy, and in everyday life. The report marks a historic opportunity. For the first time in over 17 years, there is broad, cross-sector consensus that play must be prioritised in national policy — not as a ‘nice to have’, but as a cornerstone of healthy childhoods, thriving communities, and a fairer society.

The message is clear: play is not a luxury. It is essential to learning, wellbeing, development and belonging — and must be treated as such in the decisions that shape children’s lives.

We urge the Government to act on the recommendations — and to do so without delay.

Dr. Amanda Gummer

CEO FUNdamentally Children he Raising the Nation Play Commission Report is a strategicTwin for play. It lays out a bold and evidence-based blueprint for embedding play at the heart of national policy.

At FUNdamentally Children, we’ve always advocated for play as more than just fun – it’s foundational to children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. The Commission’s findings strongly echo our core beliefs and validate the work we’ve been doing for years.

Among the headline findings were that outdoor play has halved in a generation, with fewer than 30% of children playing on their streets, while children aged 5–7 now get 45 minutes less breaktime per week than they did in 1995. These changes correlate with rising childhood obesity, anxiety and developmental challenges.

The report underscores that without space, time and freedom to play, children’s health and potential are at risk, and highlights the need for urgent cross-sector action.

Without space, time and freedom to play, children’s health is at risk

Whether you’re a toy company, app developer, content creator or education supplier, the report opens important doors – and raises new expectations.

For example, developers of children’s apps and games should note that, while the report states that digital play is valid, there are concerns around screen time, addiction and displacing real-world play. This is why the report calls for regulation of digital design and clearer wellbeing standards. It also recommends that developers must prioritise child wellbeing and ethical design, such as restricting manipulative features and incentivise balanced use.

The report also highlights a need for more play-based learning, especially to meet the government’s 75% school readiness target by 2028. It’s clear that children still want real-world play, and parents want practical play ideas. That’s why the report calls for stories that model imaginative or social play are positively viewed.

For example, companies and organisations working in the field of educational products and services should look to provide products that blend learning with physical, emotional, and social development will be in demand. Schools and after-school providers will need training, tools and support to build confidence.

As national focus on play intensifies, businesses in the children’s sector have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to respond. FUNdamentally Children is here to support them with insight-driven, evidence-based solutions.

Policy

What does the industry think?

Rob Speirs

MD Sutcliffe Play While shocking, the output of the report is not unexpected. Working in the industry as Sutcliffe Play does, we are all too aware that outdoor play is in steep decline, playtime in schools has shrunk, play infrastructure is deteriorating, children’s independence has plunged, and consequently, the health of our children is a cause for concern.

Yes, of course, Sutcliffe Play has an interest in the infrastructure for play generally but we all have or know children and we recognise the issues raised in this report and the impact it has on the children we know. What Sutcliffe Play does is only part of the solution, but we whole heartedly support all 10 of the report’s recommendations fundamentally making play a national priority in England bringing it in line with Scotland and Wales making play a statutory right for our children.

Michael Hoenigmann

CEO Jupiter Play In light of the findings of the report, at Jupiter Play we believe the play industry has a crucial role to play in transforming how children experience outdoor spaces. We urge the sector to raise the bar – to go beyond standard solutions and lead with creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity. This means embracing natural materials, prioritising landscape-led design and delivering greater innovation that captures children’s imagination and keeps families engaged. Play spaces must make children of all ages and abilities feel welcomed, challenged and inspired – spaces that encourage longer dwell times and build community cohesion. By designing with intent and ambition, from a child’s perspective rather than an adults, the industry can help restore play to the heart of every childhood – and support healthier, happier futures for all.

Barry Leahey

President Playdale The Raising the Nation Play Commission report has come at a much-needed time, with plenty of opportunity to address many of the challenges our communities face. The changes in planning guidance, the long-term health of our children, the burden on the NHS – for me, the report contains obvious answers to address the issues presented. We need a new National Play Strategy, supported by funding that will provide long-term, engaging and safe facilities that will more than pay for themselves several times over – complete with all the benefits a play area is proven to bring.

Rob Baker

MD Proludic At Proludic, we are all fully supportive of the report and the fantastic work being done by many individuals and organisations across the sector, in a bid to recognise the vital role that play can deliver on, for the developing child.

With increasing pressures on children, screen distractions and growing concerns over the decline in the physical and mental wellbeing of the next generation, it is fantastic that this report is tackling the problem head on. As a nation, it would be fantastic for everyone to get behind a campaign aimed to provide good quality and fun play opportunities for children, to not only enjoy but to learn and develop from, setting them up for the rest of their lives. We fully support the call for a National Play Strategy and it is fantastic that there is an aspiration across a plethora of organisations, calling for a significant political contribution, to provide high quality and inclusive play spaces as part of the solution to improving play opportunities.

All children have the right to play & to be outside, in safe, well-designed & inspiring environments.