From the archive: Wildlands for Children

We are pleased to announce the addition of The Bulletin of Environmental Education (BEE) to our online archive. Running from 1971 to 1989, this fantastic bulletin served as a resource for teachers to build more environmental awareness into their lessons. The BEE did this through providing, for example: activities, further readings, and reflections from the industry. It was a pioneering resource and many of its lessons are still very relevant today (though sometimes disappointingly!). We hope today’s blog, which draws from the archive, inspires you to explore the BEE further. 

Beyond the playground 

A new More in Common report, supported by the TCPA, has found that across the political spectrum, greenspaces are Britons’ largest source of pride in their local communities. And as shown in our updated climate guides, these can effectively reduce overheating and flood risk. But greenspaces also provide crucial play spaces for children. While sports pitches and playgrounds continue to be prioritised, local informal play spaces aren’t commonly embedded into our streets. The importance of these hyper-local play spaces was detailed well in Roger Hart’s lecture ‘Wildlands for Children’. This was reprinted in the February 1983 edition of the BEE. 

Hart begins by recognising the understated value in types of play other than ‘running, jumping swinging and climbing’ for children, and how greenspaces support this much-needed variety. He notes the importance of nature for children’s creative development and understanding of the world. But the lecture also highlights that a remarkably small percentage of children’s free time is spent in playgrounds or larger greenspaces. As a result, it is important that greenspaces are provided where children will be more regularly: within their local streets. 

The types of landscape that provide suitable play spaces 

The most notable point made in Hart’s lecture was that children prefer to play in informal or wild greenspaces. This contradicts how neighbourhood playgrounds are traditionally planned into new developments. 

‘The recreational spaces provided by planners in these suburbs are usually limited to sports fields and playgrounds. Both in the USA and UK, the most valued place to suburban children is “wasteland” which is sometimes accidentally left to nature.’  

Hart argues that, during development, pockets of existing nature should be left, or wild pockets encouraged. And he comments that concerns over vandalism of planting is usually overstated, so these can be left to grow with minimal maintenance. This allows children to create their own play spaces.  

‘Commonly the most valued spaces for children are those which have been forgotten by planners and other adults.’ 

Over 40 years later these observations are more relevant now than ever, supported by strong evidence¹ on doorstep play and the importance of nature to a child’s development. As the Government plans for a new generation of New Towns, and where renewal of our existing communities takes place, it is important we invest in play spaces within our streets. This can support children who may not otherwise have good access to greenspaces. And it will help us to raise explorative, healthy future generations. 

¹  To learn more on the impacts of accessible play space and nature for children, see the evidence in Raising the healthiest generation.

Also see the Playing Out campaign or the writings of Tim Gill.