Local green spaces and active travel can play a vital role for supporting children’s health and wellbeing!
Green Spaces for Spontaneous Play
The Culture, Media and Sports (CMS) Committee has recently published its long awaited ‘Game On’ report, which makes a series of recommendations to the government, with the aim of strengthening physical activity, grassroots sport and play.
We are living in a time of a major public health issue around children’s health; statistics have shown that more than one in five children in the last year of primary school in the UK are overweight. More than ever we need safe spaces and opportunities for children to play and to enjoy becoming more physically active. Access to safe and inclusive child-friendly places to play has drastically declined in recent decades. Play England report that over half of all adventure playgrounds have closed since 1980. And another recent study indicates that in a ten year period (2013-2023) 793 play parks closed in the UK. One example of this closer to home is the recent loss of a treasured Play Area on Ross Road in Hereford, known by many as Redhill Green. In March 2026 planning permission was granted to close the play area, despite its location in a part of Hereford underprovided for both in terms of play provision and public open space. This resulted in the loss of around half an acre of available green play space, next to four educational settings, lost for current and future generations.
Along the Daffodil Line route there are some lovely play areas and places to play:
More Ball Games!
Every child needs a safe public place, close to home where they can enjoy spontaneous play, connect and socialise with others, develop physical skills and kick a ball. The skills and aptitudes needed for engaging in formal and more organised sports all start with play!
Along with the need for formal sports facilities, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s ‘Game on: Community and School Sport’ report (April 2026) highlights the need for safe places for informal play close to home and where children spend time. The report recommends that legislation is put in place to remove unnecessary ‘No Ball Games’ signs, which send a subtle message to children that their presence and their play are not welcome. The committee stated “We recommend that the Government legislate to require local authorities and housing associations to remove unnecessary ‘No Ball Games’ signs to make public spaces more useable for children’s play”. Organisations throughout the Play Sector will welcome steps to remove these signs nationally. Campaigns against restrictive signage have gathered pace in recent years led by Play England and London Sport through the ‘More Ball Games’ initiative.
This Campaign has further developed in recent weeks, as England’s World Cup performance inspires a new generation of players, a coalition of 40+ organisations and experts leading on sport, health, play and child rights are calling on Andy Burnham to ban ‘No Ball Game’ signs. London Sport, Play England, the Play Commission, Playing Out, Fields in Trust, with other organisations and experts across sport, health, play and children’s sectors have written to Andy Burnham urging him to take three simple, low-cost actions within his first 100 days as Prime Minister to make provision for children’s play in public spaces, including the prohibition of ‘No Ball Games’ signs.
The CMS report suggests that MPs now recognise that enabling children to be active is not only about building new sports infrastructure, but also ensuring that local streets, estates and green spaces remain available for spontaneous play and informal recreation.
Campaigners say that while the tournament has reignited children’s passion for football, traffic-dominated streets, discriminatory “No Ball Games” restrictions and outdated rules governing parks and public spaces keep children out of spaces where once they played, socialised and belonged. As a result, too many are stuck indoors and missing out on the everyday play, physical activity, independence and social connection they need.
Active Travel
The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee’s report highlighted how active travel (which includes public transport and bus travel) can play an important role in contributing to the 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity recommended for children (detailed in guidelines issued by Chief Medical Officers in 2023). Other widely recognised benefits of bus and train use include naturally increased daily step count by walking to and from the transit stops as well as increased autonomy for children and young people. Children and young people can learn the ins and out of buying a bus ticket and navigating the skills of catching the bus and getting off at the right stop – all great life skills, contributing to increased independence and confidence. The simple daily routine of walking to and from the bus stop can contribute to improved mental wellbeing and to reduced stress and anxiety.
Children under 16 can travel for free, with or without an adult, throughout August on the Daffodil Line:
I recommend you do everything you can to protect and value your local and community play spaces – and enjoy discovering some new ones by bus this Summer!
