Report reveals children’s lack of access to outdoor space – Redrow

A third of families have no outdoor play areas or nature spaces within safe walking distance of where they live, according to research by Redrow, with parents and grandparents concerned about the impact on children’s mental health.

In its second community play report, the housebuilder’s survey of 2,000 UK adults including grandparents and parents of four to 17 year olds, reveals that two in five parents say their child cannot play outdoors independently as there are no safe routes for them to walk or cycle.

Fifty two percent of parents concede that their worry over the “safety of society” has affected how much outdoor play and independence that their child has.

Instead of playing outside, according to the parents and grandparents surveyed in Breaking the Grass Ceiling, their children and grandchildren are mainly watching TV (68%) and playing video games (53%). A third of parents “are resorting” to taking their children to indoor experiences, including soft play.

This “swap to the great indoors” is causing parents and grandparents to become “increasingly concerned” about children’s mental health and personal development, Redrow said. The report shows that two in five parents believe their children will lack a sense …