Children 'bored' by Britain's parks

Britain's parks and playgrounds have been described as "boring" by children, who say they have been banned from activities that carry even the slightest risk of injury.

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Leading article: Misadventure playground

Britain's parks and playgrounds have been described as "boring" by children, who say they have been banned from activities that carry even the slightest risk of injury.

Many youngsters say they cannot ride bikes or skateboards, climb trees or climbing frames, or play with water because of rules imposed by councils and schools, research for the Children's Society shows.

Schools are preventing children from playing tag, performing handstands, playing with yo-yos and making daisy chains because of a growing obsession with safety and fear of litigation. The excessive caution is stifling children's mental and physical development, making them too reliant on adults, less confident and depriving them of a sense of fun, the charity warns.

Bob Reitemeier, the chief executive of the charity, has urged schools and councils to review the restrictions. "Research has shown that children learn through taking risks and our survey says that children want challenging, adventurous playgrounds. We need to overcome our over-cautious culture," he said.

Of 500 children interviewed, many said play areas were boring because they had been stripped of moving rides.