'Lack of outdoor play hampers children'

Youngsters are being robbed of their childhood by over-anxious parents, video games and a "test-driven" education system, experts have warned.

A group of almost 300 teachers, psychologists, children's authors and other experts fear the lack of "unstructured, loosely supervised" outdoor play is hindering children's mental health.

A letter has been published in a national newspaper to highlight their concerns. Among the signatories are novelist Philip Pullman, Baroness Susan Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution, and child care expert Dr Penelope Leach.

There are also 60 psychologists and psychotherapists, over 40 university professors, and leaders of the main teaching unions and children's charities.

The letter refers to a finding by Unicef that Britain's kids are among the unhappiest in the developed world. A survey conducted found most adults believe children should not play out unsupervised until they are aged 14 or over.

It says: "We believe that a key factor in this disturbing trend is the marked decline over the last 15 years in children's play."

Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of The Children's Society, said the letter was a timely reminder of the "current crisis of confidence in childhood".

He said: "Recent research has shown that the UK is one of the worst places in the western world to be a child. As mentioned in today's letter, play is one of the crucial elements of a good childhood.

"Our research has revealed that children's freedom to play out with their friends is being curtailed by adult anxiety about the modern world.

The experts also point to "the ready availability of sedentary, sometimes addictive screen-based entertainment and the aggressive marketing of over-elaborate, commercialised toys".

Last year, the Children's Society launched the UK's first independent inquiry into childhood and is due to publish its full findings next year.

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