Thaindian News

London, Aug 4 (ANI): Kids are being denied the chance to take part in adventurous activities by over-cautious parents, a new study has found.
The study showed that 50 percent of kids have been banned from climbing trees, 21 per cent are not allowed to play conkers and 17 per cent have been told not to play chase because it is too dangerous.
The traditional game of British bulldog, now banned in many playgrounds, is off-limits for 32 per cent of kids.
In wake of these results, children’’s campaigners have warned that a risk-averse society was in danger of bringing up kids with no sense of adventure and who won”t be able to deal with everyday challenges.
Adrian Voce, director of Play England, which commissioned the survey, said that it was ”not the end of the world if a child has an accident”.
“Playing is an essential part of growing up and adventurous play that both challenges and excites children helps instill critical life skills,” the Telegraph quoted him, as saying.
“Constantly wrapping children in cotton wool can leave them ill equipped to deal with stressful or challenging situations they might encounter later in life,” he added.
The ICM survey was commissioned to coincide with Play Day and surveyed 1000 children aged seven to 16 and over 1,000 adults.
According to the survey, parents try to reduce the risks to children by taking them to playgrounds, keeping them at home, or allowing them to let off steam in the regulated environment of a theme park.
In the study, only 29 per cent of kids said that their most adventurous games were played outdoors among trees, rivers and woodland and 24 per cent said it took place in the streets or local area.
On contrary, 70 per cent of adults said they had their most adventurous games in outdoor natural space, 59 per cent said in parks and playgrounds and 45 per cent in the local streets.
“Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children. They are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up,” Voce said.
Although many have been banned from playing ”dangerous” games altogether, another 49 per cent aged seven to 12, are allowed to climb trees but only if an adult is present.
Another 42 per cent are not allowed in their local park on their own, 34 per cent cannot ride a bike to a friend’’s house alone and the same number are not allowed to play in the street without an adult present.
On contrary, 73 per cent are allowed to access the Internet without adult supervision.
Voce said that adults were often too busy to watch over their children.
“That is very difficult for parents to manage because of the time pressures on normal family life. If you don”t want your children to play out alone and you have not got the time to take them out then they will spend more time on the computer,” he said. (ANI)