The importance of listening to children

When decision-makers at local and national level collaborate with young people on the issues which affect them, great things can be achieved

Marguerite Hunter Blair CEO Play Scotland

The early morning enthusiastic crowd of people were heading towards the Gates at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. But we weren’t happily anticipating a rugby international clash, but a game-changing event to launch the National Review of The State of Play in Ireland. It was clear to all the delegates, marveling at the impressively maintained pitch, that no one could ever hope to play on it if they had never mastered their timing, accuracy, focus and ball skills by ‘just playing’ as children. I was delighted to be the keynote speaker at the ‘Participation, Play and Recreation Seminar’ in Ireland. This was organised by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to promote the right to play and highlight the importance of children and young people having a say in decision-making about local play and recreation facilities. Children’s participation is now required by the Irish Government for capital grant funding schemes for play and recreation, and other funding streams. This follows a clear recommendation of the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child Concluding Observations (2023) that children should be fully involved in planning,designing, and monitoring the implementation of play and recreation policies and programmes.

Children and young people’s voice and agency is at the heart of improving the state of play in Ireland. The rights to ‘play and recreation’ and ‘participation in decision making’ are clearly interlinked. Comhairle na nÓg is an organisation which directly involves children and young people in evolving local and national services and policies. It is government funded and the child and youth councils operate in each of the Local Authority areas across Ireland. The councils enable young people aged 12-17 to exercise their right in influencing decision-makers on the topics most important to them.

The young participants from Comhairle na nÓg presented and interacted at workshops with delegates attending the seminar to share practical examples of how they would like to be supported to participate in civic society. Their confidence was drawn from the knowledge that their opinions, views, and ideas were being taken seriously in the decisions impacting them every day on critical issues like mental health, climate change, diversity, and inclusion. And having a big voice in planning play and recreation facilities has resulted in improved play opportunities and experiences for young people across Ireland.

A ground-breaking research report on play in Ireland and international best practice was launched at the seminar. Outdoor Play and Recreation Provision for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review was commissioned by the government and carried out Dr Carol Barron and Ms Niamh Buckle from Dublin City University. The evidence-based recommendations in the report include: a focus on the importance of play being more prominently recognised as a right and not a vehicle to improve learning, physical activity and decrease sedentary lifestyles; children and young people’s genuine participation in planning, design of play and recreation outdoor spaces; and more consistency in play and recreation terminology to ensure common understanding and interpretation of meaning across disciplines.

It is clear from much of the research reviewed in this report and Scotland’s State of Play Report (2023) that outdoor play supports everyone’s wellbeing. For example, children who spend more time playing outdoors and adventurously have fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and adults who said they regularly played out on the street when they were children had significantly lower psychological distress scores as adults.

The importance of keeping abreast of current research to assist in policy formulation around play and recreation for young people is crucial. At the same time as the seminar in Ireland, the first national survey of play among preschool-age children in Britain revealed that girls play outside in nature less than boys even at the age of two, and preschool-age children from a minority ethnic background play less outdoors than their white counterparts. The research, by universities of Exeter and Cambridge, concluded: “The results highlight inequalities in play even in the youngest age group, which may exacerbate existing inequalities in health”.

We need to focus on understanding the mechanisms behind lower free play activity, to develop interventions to encourage it. And there is no better way to do this than by hearing and responding to the lived experiences and views of young people. As the young participants from Comhairle na nÓg said, “When decision-makers at local and national level collaborate with young people on the issues which affect them, great things can be achieved.”