The worrying decline in children’s playtime: The need for intervention on a nation-wide level

Play promotes holistic development in children and is often considered one of their fundamental rights. However, opportunities for play are steadily decreasing in the child’s two main environments, at home and in school. Parents are largely unaware of the value play has. Similarly, teachers are under pressure to provide structured academic activities which leave little time for free play. If it is to be more readily endorsed at a societal level, recognition of the important roleplay has in development is needed at a governmental level. Psychological research supports the need for such significant shifting. Crucially, we must encourage play, both as a home-based leisurely activity and a concrete element of the UK curriculum, in order to enhance our children’s learning.