Play time cut

Expert warns of dire impact on children's health & development

- ASHLEY COWBURN

KIDS' play time has been squeezed out of the school day since the mid-90s with a negative effect on their health and mental wellbeing.

A report found hundreds of playgrounds have been closed, leading to generations of children spending less time outdoors and with friends.

Former Children's Commissioner for England, Baroness Longfield, said: "Play is being squeezed out of their lives, and the consequences for their mental and physical health, and their development, are dire." The concerns are raised in a report from campaign group Raising the Nation Play Commission, which highlights the benefits of outside play.

It pinpointed a significant fall in the length of break times in England's schools by analysing comparative figures for 1995, 2006, 2017 and 2021.

Pupils aged five to seven had 23 minutes less break time in a week, compared to their peers in 1995.