Power, rights and play: control of play in school grounds, an action research project from Wales

An exploration of outdoor play and wellbeing in Northern Irish primary schools

“…This is noted by Casey (2007), who observes that the play types identified by Hughes (2002) exist on a spectrum based on what types of play are valued by adults, restricting children's activity to a narrow definition of play approved by those in charge of the play setting (King and Howard, 2014). Within the school playground environment, play that is seen to be productive or which demonstrates positive values is highly regarded, whereas play which is considered destructive or which causes adults anxiety is not valued and often suppressed completely (Lewis, 2017;Tyrie et al, 2019). To illustrate this, Casey and McIntyre (2005) developed a spectrum of play types based on the value perceived by adults (figure 3.2).…”

“…Playgrounds are near universal features of schools, and the non-curricular play which takes place on them constitutes approximately 7 hours of children's time per weekabout a quarter of their school day (Pearce and Bailey, 2011). School playgrounds should therefore allow children to engage in a variety of play activities which are intrinsically motivated and relevant to the child's needs, capabilities and interests, yet the fears and concerns around safety characteristic of the 21 st century has meant that play during break times has become increasingly restricted as more and more activities perceived as potentially dangerous are banned (Couper, 2019;Farmer et al, 2017;Tyrie et al, 2019). The playground therefore represents regulated, supervised, and free space (Rönnlund, 2015), where children wish for more 'dos' and less 'don'ts' in terms of playground rules and restrictions (Thomson, 2007).…”

“…Primary school playgrounds vary widely in terms of size and features, ranging from small, concrete areas to open spaces with diverse, natural features (Tyrie et al, 2019).…”

“…Concerns about getting messy were shared by children in all 3 schools and tended to centre around fears of getting their clothes dirty and the consequences they might face, which may be reflective of adult anxieties and the value placed on certain types of play over others -particularly in the school environment (Lewis, 2017;Tyrie et al, 2019). Children's worries were framed in terms of possible negative reactions from adults, with Charlie noting that if you get messy during play time "your mummy has to wash your clothes", and classmate Sarah agreeing, "my mummy would lose the plot!…”

“…The inclusion of these items can perhaps be seen as an expression of the type of exciting, risky play lacking in current safety-conscious play spaces, reflecting the abundance of research by Sandseter (2007Sandseter ( , 2009Sandseter ( , 2010Sandseter ( , 2014 which shows that children seek out the thrill of risk in their play, and supported by an emergent body of work which links the elimination of risk in children's play spaces with the elimination of excitement (Couper, 2019;Farmer et al, 2017;Follett, 2017;Tyrie et al, 2019). This thesis considers risky play in an appropriate environment (such as green schoolyards with loose parts materials) fundamental to childhood wellbeing in terms of its developmental capacities and role in promoting resilience -in particular for children living in a post-conflict society with disproportionately poor outcomes.…”