Nursery World - Children afraid to play outside

Fear of bullies and danger from traffic are keeping Britain's children cooped up inside, according to a survey published yesterday (1 August) by the Children's Society and the Children's Play Council to mark National Playday. The 'Play Space' survey of 800 children aged four to 16 found that a quarter were too scared of being bullied by older children to play outside.

The 'Play Space' survey of 800 children aged four to 16 found that a quarter were too scared of being bullied by older children to play outside.

The second most common reason given was traffic (17 per cent of the children), followed by parents' fear of strangers, which was a problem for 15 per cent. Dirty play areas also put children off.

Ian Sparks, chief executive of the Children's Society, said, 'Children are being crowded out of their neighbourhoods - by cars, by bullying and by parents' fears about strangers. They are not so much couch potatoes as couch prisoners, and the impact on their health and well-being could be disastrous.'

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included