David Morpurgo was on the TV talking about spring and nature. He reminded me of where we used to play in fields near our house. Playing outside you discover things. Ants, wasps and nettles sting! Thistles , brambles and hawthorn aren't much better when running around bare footed. A bit like stepping on a Lego brick. We had loads of butterflies around when we were young, they were everywhere. We discovered loads of things when we were out playing. It is what I miss these days. Housing developments have taken over the fields where we used to play and there doesn't seem to be any areas where children could play like we used to.
Dunno. It's a hard one really. I moved from Kenya aged young to Brum and green areas to 'play' were few and far between. We still found them but it often meant cycling along busy roads to get there. What a contrast.
Wind the clock forward: secured student digs in the worst possible area in Cheltenham. Kids everywhere. Used to organise spontaneous games of cricket, football, football rugby free for all hybrid, baseball and general sillyness. We had kids knock on the door all times of day when the weather was good.
Moved to the other end of town the following year - the posh end. No kids about. Maybe occasionally in the back garden. My digs was in a house with 3 kids who hardly ever went out.
So the poorer kids in areas with less opportunities in who's parents couldn't afford Play stations and X boxes were becoming street wise and developing social skills. The children in more affluent areas (with better opportunities) were not becoming street wise and developing... Funny dichotomy.
My daughter (12) goes into town in the bus meets with friends and they have found a wood where they are building a den and there is a rope swing and stick where she comes back having worn the seat out of yet another pair of leggings. Locally, with the good weather, the big park (King George VI playing fields) was teeming with kids. The park is next to a sink area and in between a semi affluent area. They seem to mix Tik Tok shorts and YT tunes with outdoor play.
The tendency, I would agree, is that there are less kids outdoors but it is not as barren as some would perceive.
