I found this article about a young boy whose mother does not let him play outside, because she is afraid of what may happen to him. As natural playground designers we often deal with over-protective adults; parents, teachers and carers, whose perceptions of risk are out of balance with reality. We work with them to allay their fears and create spaces where gentle risk taking becomes confidence boosting for the children and the watching adults. We work through a careful risk benefit analysis.
However, in the case of the young boy in the article, the parental fears were real and fully justified. What can we do in these situations? We work with local pre-schools as an early intervention. We develop community gardens and train local Council, staff and volunteers. In communities where it is unsafe to play outside on the street we put the emphasis on schools, where we can safely and cost-effectively provide the nature connections children need for their health and well-being.
The article says a charity is looking to move the boy and his family to a safer neighbourhood. That could be a good outcome for the boy, but it does not help his current neighbourhood and the other children who live there.
Freedom to play, safely, outside is a basic human right.
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