All to Play For

A Play Strategy for the Highlands

I have campaigned for a Highland Play Strategy since being elected in 1999. It was a pleasure to see this launched in 2007.  

Launch of Play Strategy at Conon Primary (Feb 2007)

The strategy acknowledges public agency responsibilities to ensure Highland’s children can exercise their fundamental human right to play, as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

The strategy sets out an action plan devised in partnership with key Highland Council, NHS and Voluntary Organisation personnel. It will meet six key objectives:

·        Promoting A Child/Family Friendly Ethos In Highland

·        Ensuring Consultation With Children

·        Access To Play For All Children

·        Incorporating Appropriate Challenge In Play

·        Encouraging Outdoor Play

·        Encouraging Community Involvement In The Development Of Play Areas

We know that play positively affects a child’s health in numerous ways, but the amount and quality of play our children experience is being massively reduced due to factors like stranger danger, road traffic, and bullying concerns. 

Due to the constant fear of litigation, play equipment provided is often ‘dumbed-down’ to such a degree that children find it boring and seek excitement elsewhere.  Worse still they may not seek challenge anywhere else and we’re then in danger of producing ‘cotton wool kids’ who are timid, have little resilience, judge risk poorly and underachieve in life as a result. We are all aware of the soaring child obesity rate in Scotland and increasing play opportunity is an ideal solution to get children burning more calories.

The Highland Play Strategy addresses these concerns and points the way forward to us all to ensure that our children’s rights to play are met.

Malina MacDonald, Highland Council’s play development officer, says:

“It’s important to ensure that the right to play is firmly placed in our children’s hands. We must foster in them the independence and confidence to take risks, use their imagination, and consequently become more resilient individuals as a result.  Adults should not be afraid to increase the opportunities for free/unsupervised play as evidence shows that children can only benefit.”

The Highland Play Strategy – “All to Play For” can be found on the Integrated Children’s Services website: www.forhighlandschildren.org  Copies will also be distributed to all Highland Primaries, pre-school providers and relevant personnel