Children afraid to play outdoors

Speaking at the launch of a new report, A Child's Place: why environment matters to children, Mr Clarke acknowledged that the report raises a 'whole string of issues which are complicated and difficult', in relation to children's relationship with their environment.

The report, by the Green Alliance and think tank Demos, revealed that children aged ten and 11 are afraid to play outdoors because of the dangers associated with traffic, kidnapping and terrorism.

Guy Thompson, director of Green Alliance and one of the report's authors, said that despite the fact that children have an 'innate desire to explore their natural surroundings', some are at risk of becoming 'disconnected from the environment because the opportunities to access quality spaces are diminishing'.

The majority of the 40 children interviewed across England said that they did not consider the street a suitable place to play. Secret hideaways close to home - a disused piece of parkland or a patch at the bottom of their garden - were cited as 'safe' places to play. Children also said they wanted to see more trees, more green spaces, less traffic and less litter.

Dinah Morley, acting director of YoungMinds, a charity committed to improving the mental health of children and young people, said that she thought the fear instilled in some of today's children was a result of their parents' over-protectiveness. She said, 'The media hones in on tragedies such as the Soham murders - but the reality is that paedophiles are being more closely monitored than ever before. The Government is intervening earlier on issues surrounding street crime and local authorities have more measures to control traffic in residential areas.'

She added that children were 'no longer able to take the same risks as their parents did' and put their fear of traffic down to the fact that they often get driven to and from school. She said, 'Children are not learning skills such as how to cross the road.'

The authors of the report conclude that by depriving children of access to the outdoors, their confidence in moving through the larger world is being held back.

The report recommends that pupils should be entitled to out-of-classroom learning activities, including regular 'school safaris' to help them explore their local environment. But Tim Gill, director of the Children's Play Council, said that occasional supervised trips were 'no substitute'

for children's access to free and open space. He added, 'Children want to be outside playing in safe environments. If we make the streets safer, children can make trips to parks and shops more easily.'

Although the report did not reveal any surprises for people working in the play sector, it generated a lot of media interest that was welcomed by play professionals. Mr Gill said, 'It's as much about who's saying it as what they're saying.'

To download a copy of the report, visit www.green-alliance.org.uk or www.demos.co.uk.