PLAYWORKS: ERIN BYRNE

Risky Play

A major study by Play England, part of the National Children's Bureau, found that half of all children have been stopped from climbing trees, 21 per cent have been banned from playing conkers and 17 per cent have been told they cannot take part in games of tag or chase. Some parents are going to such extreme lengths to protect their children from danger that they have even said no to hide-and-seek.

"Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children. They are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up."

Adrian Voce, director of Play England

Play England is determined to spread the message that children ought to be taking risks and that it is 'not the end of the world if a child has an accident'.