Play is critical to development

The UK school grounds charity, Learning Through Landscapes, commenting on a poll of 1,146 children sponsored by RBS, suggests children engage in bullying and negative behaviour because they are bored.  Although almost all (93%) enjoyed playtimes, one in four had been bullied in the playground while one in six got bored.  They suggest a solution would be to engage them in more stimulating play.

Most parents agree that the school playground had a lasting influence on their own personal development, but one in five parents said there was a lack of sporting facilities to keep children active and engaged and a quarter wanted to see more seating areas which encouraged social interaction.  This survey also fond that parents think that schools do not allow children to experience “good old fashioned fun” in the playground, with 57% agreeing that children were “too wrapped up in cotton wool“.

The general message is that emotional development requires stimulating, experiential learning and play, and this should occur in early years, while cognitive intelligences may be emphasised in teen years.

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