Play is vitally important for the healthy development of all children and young people. Play is seriously on a child’s agenda and that of their parents. Play Alliance believes play needs to be on our current and prospective politicians’ agenda also.
Children’s opportunities for free play have become restricted in recent years by various factors including planning, traffic, parental safety concerns and the level of structured activities.
Play Alliance encourages voters to support this cause by encouraging their local politician to make quality play provision an important part of their campaign.
A new National Play Policy to focus attention and resources on providing better play opportunities is of vital importance, and the establishment of an information centre to assist play providers in local authorities is badly needed.
“There are over 800,000 children in Ireland. One in four of these children are either overweight or obese. It is crucial that in all places where children gather we provide opportunities for a wide range of play activities, to ensure their well-being. By far the most serious constraint to children’s free-play globally, is the lack of appreciation of its value by many adults”, said Anne O’Brien, Play Development Officer in Dublin City Council.
Play Alliance urges all politicians to support the development, maintenance and protection of play environments and the creation of imaginative new initiatives. Let our children learn about the world, how its works, and their place in it, through play.
