Kids talk ‘summer of play’

As children have returned to school, catching up on academics has been front and centre, but maybe we should be paying just as close attention to catching up on play too? 

We asked some young people about what they’d missed during lockdown, and what they’re looking forward to the most this summer. “I have missed sport so much! I like playing basketball and volleyball; me and my friends play every day,” says Noor, 15, who goes to Whitefield School near Brent Cross Town.

When we’re young, everything from brain development to social skills is enhanced through play. This is one of the reasons why sport and play will be at the centre of Brent Cross Town: play builds confidence, and promotes independence and creativity. It fosters resilience by helping kids solve problems, take risks, and deal with setbacks.

Like the rest of us, young people haven’t had much of a chance to play over the past year. For the youngest age groups, lockdown might be all they can remember. Erika, 4, says she’d like to go to the farm soon, but her dad tells us that Erika and her baby sister are so unused to going places after spending so much of their short lives in lockdown that they get over-excited just going to the shops. 

Just doing normal things might be plenty of excitement this summer: “I missed going to school because I really like playing with my friends and seeing them a lot,” says Skye, 7, who’s looking forward to going to her first sleepover once lockdown fully lifts. Her brother Jake, 5, is also excited to have a proper birthday party this year.

Maths and English skills may have taken a hit this year, but play campaigners are arguing that going outside and spending time with friends is just as important – possibly even more so. “Through play, children have the capacity to express a natural fortitude toward learning and understanding that perhaps could mitigate effects of early adversity,” wrote Kelsey Graber, a PhD student at PEDAL Research Centre, University of Cambridge. Her research found that lots of kids have been putting masks on their teddies this year. “Children’s natural inclination toward play could perhaps provide a sense of normalcy among so much uncertainty.”

PlayFirstUK are a group of mental health experts calling for a ‘summer of play’, advocating for children’s emotional wellbeing to be prioritised as lockdown is eased: “As part of a wider recovery process, children should be encouraged and supported to spend time outdoors, playing with other children and being physically active,” the group wrote in an open letter. “This is not an either-or decision. Social connection and play offer myriad learning opportunities and are positively associated with children’s academic attainment and literacy.”

While Noor has been able to keep in touch with her friends via her mobile phone, she says speaking on the phone just isn’t the same. Araceli, 11, who also goes to Whitefield School, doesn’t have her own phone yet: “I wasn’t really able to keep in contact with my friends during lockdown. It was so nice seeing them again… I really like to play Follow the Leader as I always win!”

Mimi, 12, was also able to connect with friends over video call, “But with FaceTime you almost have to force it. When you’re at school and see people in the corridor you can just say hi or make a joke.” The best thing about being back in school? “I’ve missed messing about more than anything. Just sitting in a circle at lunchtime, bantering back and forth and playing silly games.”

There’s nothing like unstructured play when no one’s telling you what to do – and kids have had much of this agency taken away from them in the past year. Right now, you can come and join us in Exploratory Park in Brent Cross Town. The park is open and has a seesaw, swings, monkey bars, a slide, and even musical instruments for unleashing your creativity. Bring on a summer of play.