Play Matters: a study of best practices to inform local policy and process in support of children`s play

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - PLAY MATTERS

Children playing outside—in spaces dedicated for play or not—signify a vibrant, healthy community. In cities and towns across America, however, children just don’t get out and play as they used to. The barriers to play include increased screen time, reductions in school-based playtime, more traffic, less open space, run-down play areas, and caregivers’ fears about safety. As children become more sedentary, the loss of play has serious consequences for health, education, and community development.

Providing more opportunities for play is emerging as a civic responsibility at the local level. Play as a policy imperative has not yet risen to the national agenda, despite increasing evidence of its importance:

1. Children are more overweight than ever, and they are actually gaining weight over summer break. The percentage of overweight children has doubled in the last 20 years, while the percentage of overweight teens has tripled.
2. The CDC reports that 4.5 million children (ages 5-17) have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Many of them are being medicated.
3. Diagnoses of depression and anxiety disorders in children are also on the rise, with a corresponding increase in the use of psychoactive drugs to treat them.
4. Violence, emotional outbursts, and lack of social skills for dealing with peers and authority figures are growing issues for schools. Today’s teachers spend more and more time on classroom management and less time actually teaching.

Without more time for play, we will continue to see a decrease in creativity and imagination, problem-solving skills, the ability to assess risk, and resiliency. All of these help prepare children not only to learn more effectively in school but also for successful adulthood.

Solutions that promote opportunities for play often align with national and local imperatives—including health, education, the environment, and economic and community development.

The purpose of this report is to describe successful local initiatives to improve opportunities for play and draw conclusions about why they have worked. The impact of these initiatives is gauged on three dimensions: increasing the quantity of available play spaces and play opportunities, improving the quality of spaces and experiences, and increasing children’s safe access to play. This report also identifies emerging data linking play initiatives to positive outcomes in health, education, the environment, and the economy. It will be useful for those building a case for play as part of the solution to broader public priorities.

The 12 local initiatives analyzed here were selected on the basis of three additional criteria:

1. They involve significant new financial and/or human resources for play and physical activity for children.
2. They contribute to system-wide change in the community.
3. They can be replicated in other places.

The 12 communities vary in size, demographics, and resources—ranging from the city of Denver to the town of Ankeny, Iowa. The initiatives vary in complexity and cost, from rebuilding playgrounds to improving the quality of play during school recess. Some focus on space, others on programs. While each initiative is different, these stories illuminate common themes in building support for play. This report analyzes these commonalities, suggests steps for building public interest and support, and offers recommendations for citizens and policymakers.

There are many ways to build support for play. Some projects are citizen-led; others are driven by city officials. Some cases involve a complicated intergovernmental process; others, a tested and purposeful program that has been integrated into a school system. Still others developed out of a parent addressing his or her child’s needs and then spread organically to the school and the broader community. Each of these key drivers—public or private, individual or collective—mobilized a community to provide political and financial support.

While each initiative featured in the report increases play, the decisive factors in each case did not always explicitly include an argument for increasing play. In some cases, the arguments related to health, education, community development, the environment, or the economy. Increased opportunities for play were a collateral benefit.

Advocates employed a variety of strategies to build political support for their message and resources to execute their initiative. These strategies included:

• Mobilizing key stakeholders early on
• Developing a compelling argument
• Engaging direct beneficiaries
• Collecting quantitative baseline data
• Publicizing results of accountability measures against standards
• Participating in the electoral process
• Collaborating with news media

The case studies point to several strategies for citizens and policymakers who wish to develop and promote play policy in their communities.

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

• Conduct a play audit to assess play quantity, quality, and access
• Engage children and caregivers in identifying needs and priorities
• Use effective methods for data collection, particularly technology tools
• Develop strategic alliances to inform and align message and priorities

PLANNING STRATEGIES

• Set locally relevant and feasible standards for play quality, quantity, and access
• Engage broad constituencies, including children and caregivers, in strategic planning
• Coordinate and integrate plans across government agencies and offices
• Set school standards for play and physical activity time

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Develop and execute a comprehensive plan to increase quality, quantity, and access
• Create systems to engage citizens and beneficiaries in implementing the plan
• Implement a proactive maintenance program for facilities
• Implement joint-use agreements
• Develop and implement incentive programs
• Use technology tools to build support

MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND FEEDBACK STRATEGIES

• Regularly monitor and evaluate performance and satisfaction rates
• Use technology tools to report on progress, sustain interest, and increase accountability

Too often, children’s play is an afterthought in local policy—if it figures in policymaking at all. By examining all possible spaces for play and collaborating with all relevant government departments and community stakeholders, play advocates and elected officials can significantly increase children’s opportunities for play. Whether those opportunities are space-oriented or programmatic, advocates should strive to fully engage children and their families in the process. This report presents new ideas that should be adapted and adopted by more communities around the country, as well as providing a framework for increased federal and philanthropic funding for play in communities across the country.