Playing out

Ten good reasons why children should be supported and enabled to play out in their local environment:

1. Children need to play
2. The street is a blank canvas
3. Children like to play near home and have traditionally done so
4. Children need ample space to play energetically
5. Playing in the street increases community cohesion
6. Street play creates new opportunities for socialising and friendships
7. Children learn valuable skills when they play out
8. Playing in the street allows for ‘semi-supervised’ play
9. The street is the “starting point for all journeys” (Tim Gill, 2007)
10. Streets constitute the vast majority of public space in the city

Playing out can support you to make changes where you live.