Wales-a play friendly place Marianne Mannello Assistant Director Play Wales

The right to play All children have the right to play as enshrined in Article 31 of the United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child Every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

UNCRC General Comment Children should have: - an environment sufficiently free from… traffic and other physical hazards to allow them to circulate freely and safely within their local neighbourhood.

‘Play’ the key characteristics of play are fun, uncertainty, challenge, flexibility and non-productivity is a fundamental and vital dimension of the pleasure of childhood an essential component of physical, social, cognitive, emotional and spiritual development

What children have told us… 93% named an outdoor space or activity Children and young people in Wales said they were concerned by the current level of safe places to play and hang out provided for them in Wales Well-being centres on having good friends; and having plenty of things to do, especially outdoors

Matter F: Access to space/provision “For many children the pavements and roads outside their front doors represent not only access to play provision, but also a space in its own right, where they can play; sometimes the only public open space in a community. We also recognise that when children travel somewhere they don’t just walk or cycle but they play their way through their community. ”

Play sufficiency and active travel