I welcome the review of children's natural play by Stuart Lester and Martin Maudsley for Playday 2006, commissioned by the Children's Play Council. It is apt at this time to examine the importance of playing naturally and the barriers to children doing so. As the review highlights very effectively, children have a natural inclination and ability to interact with the natural environment, and research shows that it is 'playing out' that children value the most.
Experiencing the freedom of open space, fields, streams, sea, sand, animals, trees and plants is an essential element in our learning and development. As a child growing up in London, I didn't have to go outside of my neighbourhood to have these experiences; there were fields, woods and canals near my home where my friends and I played, as well as the streets and city playgrounds. However, there are severe restrictions for some children today.
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