The right to play

Children and young people need time, permission and space to play and hang out

Marguerite Hunter Blair CEO Play Scotland

Children’s right to play was enshrined in Scots law this year, alongside their legal right to participate in planning. These major achievements have been hard won over many years and represent a game-changing opportunity to improve and expand children and young people’s play and recreation. Less welcome news is to be found in the 2024 Good Childhood Report which reveals that many young people are unhappy with their lives. Shamefully, in 2022 the UK’s 15-year-olds had the lowest average life satisfaction in Europe and the fifth highest rate of pupils reporting no physical exercise before or after school. Evidence consistently shows the positive benefits for children and young people of being outdoors and playing - taking part in games, sports, activities, dance or just meeting up - on their mental health and wellbeing. Every nation wants their young people to thrive but to achieve this they need to have a voice in shaping the communities in which they live, and time, permission and space to play and hang out. After the COVID 19 restrictions children in Scotland asked for a return to play, more play and better play. Theytold Play Scotland that they had missed their friends, family, fun and freedom to play. But play remains a challenging social and spatial justice issue with inequalities and concerns for wellbeing continuing to rise. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is the national spatial strategy published in 2023. It recognises that there are significant health inequalities in Scotland and that the natural environment is fundamental to everyone’s health and wellbeing. Key policy areas support children’s inclusion and wellbeing, and facilitate spaces and opportunities for play, recreation and sport in the natural and built environments. These policy areas are further supported by Play Sufficiency Assessment Regulations 2023 which require planning authorities to assess the sufficiency of play opportunities for children when preparing an evidence report to inform the making of local development plans. The Planning Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) regulations cover children and young people of all ages and must take account of spaces for girls and boys, children with disabilities and other protected characteristics, and children from deprived communities. The aim is to ensure children’s need for outdoor play and spaces is taken account of in making local development plans and that children are empowered to influence planning processes and decision making.

Recently over five and a half thousand young people in Glasgow across eighteen High Schools participated in the Play Sufficiency engagement process. The results from all the conversations and engagements are included in a Play Sufficiency Assessment Storymap. When asked about what play means, most young people said that play means having fun. Fun is seen as a positive form of connection, reduces stress and contributes to a positive outlook. It was clear that activities young people enjoy have a positive impact on their wellbeing. When playing, young people reported they feel calm, relaxed, and able to escape from school stress. Play was highly associated with friends and this in turn shows the importance of social spaces. With a small amount of funding, Glasgow City Council now plans to co-create a space with young people to meet their needs and the design of the site will pay particular attention to what makes a good space for girls, who continue to report feeling unsafe and tend to withdraw from organized sport and recreation earlier than boys. The 2024 Good Childhood Report makes for grim reading, and it is time to take action to address the issues raised. Scotland’s ambition of ‘living well locally’ is a complex challenge. It is clear from our recent progress that engaging with children and young people in place- making and planning for play is at the heart of better outcomes for everyone in our communities.