A third of children don’t play outdoors after school, study finds

New research has found more than a third of children don’t play outdoors after school and one in five don’t at weekends, raising concerns about children’s physical and mental health.

The study from the University of Exeter, published in Wellbeing, Space & Society and funded by the Medical Research Council, discovered 34 per cent of children don’t play outdoors on school days, while 20 per cent don’t play outdoors on weekends. Research indicates outdoor play is very important for a child’s social and emotional abilities and children who play outside more often tend to have better social skills and fewer behavioural and emotional problems.

Researchers also found different patterns of outdoor play throughout the week based on ethnicity with benefits therefore gained at different times of the week. For example, British heritage children played outside more on school days while South Asian heritage children played outside more on weekends. The study also found that children living in less deprived communities benefited more from outdoor play than those in more deprived communities.

Lead researcher Dr Mark Ferguson from the University of Exeter said: “Outdoor play is essential for children’s growth and development and our finding that many children do not regularly engage in outdoor play is worrying because it is linked to various health issues, including obesity, anxiety and depression. We need to take proactive steps to encourage outdoor activities and ensure children lead healthy and active lives. Simple measures such as creating play-friendly residential areas and safer urban environments where families can relax, exercise, socialise, and play can make a big difference. But it’s important to remember cultural differences and engage with communities to make these initiatives successful.”

The study involved 2,568 children aged between seven and 12 years old from the multi-ethnic ‘Born in Bradford’ research programme, which tracks the health, development, and wellbeing of mothers and children in Bradford from pregnancy onwards, collecting extensive data and monitoring health and educational impacts over 18 years.

Professor Rosie McEachan, Director of the Born in Bradford programme, said: “This study shows how important it is for children’s mental health to get off their screens and play outdoors after school and at weekends. We are lucky in Bradford to have many beautiful parks and green spaces, but these findings show that the local streets in which we live are just as important a space for children, and we need to make sure they are safe and welcoming spaces, free from traffic and pollution.”

Researchers measured social-emotional skills of the children involved using the total difficulties score, which is created from questionnaires completed by the children’s parents. Social-emotional skills in children refers to their ability to understand, manage, and express their own emotions and behaviours, as well as interact with the world around them and build positive relationships with others. The study suggests that outdoor play benefits social-emotional skills through physical activity, socialisation, and adventurous play.

The paper ‘The Association between Park Visits, Outdoor Play and Child Social-Emotional Competency in a Multi-Ethnic, Urban Cohort’  is published in Wellbeing, Space & Society.