Obviously, we understand the economic pressures families face, so it is hardly surprising that almost 20% of parents around the world are worried about new activities because of the cost. However, when you consider that four of the top five activities kids would love to ‘Have a Go’ at include low cost (or free) activities, like:
Mountain biking (26%)
Going down a slide (13%)
Making a big cake (10%)
Rolling down a hill (9%)
It becomes clear that these fears can easily be overcome. And that’s not even taking into consideration the other top activities kids around the world would love to have a go at, from finger painting to jumping in a big, muddy puddle. As simple and obvious as it sounds, many kids just want to have more fun outdoors!
Surely, one of the things that we want most as parents is to share experiences with our kids and create special memories. It may not always feel as though our kids want this, too – but, in reality, a large number of kids around the world (as many as 63%) want to do things with friends or family, so if we all have a go together, then we can all be happier!
Feeling comfortable within ourselves about our kids getting outside, getting dirty and simply being kids is paramount to their development. It fills them with confidence and us with pride.
Children can discover different abilities in different areas; it doesn’t matter which area; what is important is to encourage them to do something.Children are increasingly being denied opportunities to play, to enjoy and learn from their own inclinations to be curious and explore. Ultimately, we all need to make an effort to ensure barriers to play are eroded and that we place the right emphasis on the importance of play.