It’s not just about ‘more’: A research project exploring satisfaction with opportunities to play, for children in two Welsh neighbouring communities

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses a research project undertaken during spring 2014, in response to the findings of the Play Sufficiency Assessment in one Welsh Local Authority. The results highlighted anomalous findings between two neighbouring communities regarding the children’s self-reported levels of satisfaction with opportunities to play. The research study aimed to identify factors which may have caused the disparity in satisfaction between the two communities. The findings of the research indicate that simply having more places to play is not automatically an indicator of satisfaction. Factors such as child and parental fear, socio-economic conditions and the development of a ‘play culture’ within communities have a more significant role in influencing children’s freedom and opportunities to play.

KEYWORDS:

• Play
• playwork
• play opportunities
• poverty
• deprivation
• community tolerance
• parental fear

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Alexandra Long is a senior lecturer and course leader at Leeds Beckett University, teaching on the BA (Hons) Childhood Development & Playwork programme. She completed her Master's by research degree in 2012 and is currently undertaking a PhD studying the ‘impact of commissioning, on the delivery of children's play services in England’.

ORCID

Alexandra Long http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1744-4519