Letter: Kids today

Sir: It is not surprising that British children are spending more time indoors watching television and playing computer games ("Our generation of couch potato kids", 19 March). Parental safety fears and lack of time to supervise children are factors, but they hide a more profound problem - the lack of priority given to investing in developing good-qualify safe playgrounds and safe communities.

Our own work with young people backs what the LSE's latest study shows, that "children prefer to get out". So why aren't we taking action to improve play opportunities for children and young people? In some areas of the country play facilities are practically non-existent and badly maintained. In one area where we work, children actually built their own bike track after their attempts to get the council to make improvements failed.

The Audit Commission's last survey of children's playgrounds shows that just under one playground is provided for every 500 children (1995). But giving children better play opportunities it is not just about building playgrounds; local authorities need to take a more integrated approach and look at ways of creating communities where children can move between play areas, schools and their homes in safety. In the Netherlands, where proper provision for cycling is made, 60 percent of all the journeys children aged between 12 and 15 make are by bicycle; this compares to 6 per cent in Britain.

Instead of reaffirming the fears that parents have about allowing their children to venture outside, it is time we started tackling those fears by building better safer communities for children to play.

BOB REITEMEIER

Operations Director

The Children's Society

London WC1