00:00It's so important to see Play recognise Lorna because it's just as critical for a child's
00:06health and wellbeing as a healthy diet and a good night's sleep.
00:09So to see it celebrated around the world is absolutely delightful for us here at the hospital.
00:14Do you think Play has become less important in society?
00:18And I'm thinking of technology as being a big factor.
00:21Well what we definitely do know from a big study we did about 12 months ago across Australia
00:26among 2,000 parents was that Play has definitely changed.
00:30It's not necessarily seen as less important but it looks very different to how it might
00:34have looked a generation ago and in fact the majority of parents told us they thought Play
00:39was probably better back in the day than it was for kids here and now.
00:43And the biggest differences are things like you've just mentioned technology, frequently
00:48children are playing inside rather than outside and often parents are really cautious about
00:54any sort of play that involves risk.
00:56I want to talk about risk in a moment, first let's just talk, I mean it's a universal language
01:00isn't it, Play?
01:02You can speak any language and play with somebody who's next to you.
01:06What other things does Play give a child growing up?
01:10Well Play really at its core is practice.
01:13It's practice for life.
01:14It's where a child or a young person can test something out.
01:17That might be how they interact with another child.
01:21It might be what they can do physically.
01:23However they play out that particular situation, they're learning something, they're building
01:28a skill and then that allows their brain to grow and develop and take those skills into
01:33the next experience that they might have in real life.
01:36Okay, so let's talk about risk.
01:39Many people of my age I guess will say their greatest memories are of cycling down this
01:45big grassy hill at breakneck speed and maybe coming off.
01:49We learn from these experiences.
01:50Why have we as a society become so risk averse?
01:54Well we have moved away and about 30% of parents told us they feel not at all comfortable with
02:00their child having any risk in play and the motivation for that is good.
02:04I think that's really important.
02:06Parents want the best for their kids and grandparents and caregivers so they try to take away those
02:11things that might put them at risk of injury and as a doctor, you know, I'm all for injury
02:16prevention of course, but the question that we have to ask and that we're starting to
02:20hear is play, does it really need to be as safe as possible or just as safe as necessary
02:26to reduce those serious risks of harm but still allow some experimentation, some unknown
02:31and all the learning that comes with that?
02:34And that sort of play that you're talking about, I'm thinking now of perhaps climbing
02:37a tree, so much of it involves nature doesn't it?
02:41Absolutely it does.
02:42So when it comes to risky play, often it's outdoors and involves nature.
02:46It involves an element that's unknown.
02:48So a child's not really sure how it's going to turn out.
02:50They might have to think about a plan B.
02:53It also usually involves something that is just a little bit uncomfortable.
02:57So being able to face some sort of fear or uncertainty and then work through that actually
03:03builds skills that you will use, you know, in a real life experience down the track.
03:08So it's that concept of resilience that we hear bandied around a lot.
03:12What we are learning is that having an opportunity to be in risky play environments helps build
03:18those skills that will give our children and young people resilience.
03:21I mean, we all parent differently, don't we?
03:24But we heard of the rise of the parachute parents who literally watch like a hawk over
03:29their children.
03:30But then there's the other end of the spectrum in a way where there's those parents who push
03:36children out of their comfort zone.
03:37So it is different across the board.
03:40It is very different.
03:41And obviously every parent will be making a decision that's right for them and right
03:45for their child and their individual needs and their cultural background.
03:49But importantly, there are some things that risky play is not.
03:53So pushing a child outside of their comfort zone or their ability to a point where they're
03:57going to be really uncomfortable is not what risky play is about.
04:02It's also not about abandoning all supervision and, you know, just leaving things to play
04:06out on their own or going against safety regulations where we know things are really proven and
04:10sensible like a helmet on a bike, for example.
04:14It's not stepping across those barriers, but instead it's about finding that sweet
04:18spot where children and young people can just feel that little bit of challenge, that little
04:24bit of uncertainty in a way that's on purpose.
04:27So it's not giving them a hazardous situation, but it is giving them a chance to push their
04:31boundaries and know what that feels like and that they can come out the other side.
04:36So going back to the International Day of Play, it's a UN initiative.
04:40What can communities in Australia, governments, councils do to help children play?
04:47Well, I think play really, really matters.
04:51That's the first thing we all need to know and believe.
04:54And we also need to know that it's everybody's business.
04:56So enabling play to happen as much as we can for children and young people and even adults
05:02and grownups, we benefit from play as well, is really the key.
05:06And it doesn't have to be structured, fancy, organised events.
05:10It doesn't have to be with equipment or things that are costly.
05:14It's actually about finding playful moments and time and opportunity for those things
05:18to happen in day-to-day life and helping everyone to understand what that looks like.
05:24And also helping those environments where our children spend a lot of time.
05:28There's home, but there's school, there's early learning settings, childcare centres.
05:33It's giving all of those places the space within the rules and regulations and also
05:38the tools that they need to enable that play, that free play, that risky play that's really
05:42so healthy to happen so kids can thrive.
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