It is a dying phenomenon: children wandering around outside for hours with, for example, a stray shopping cart, without overprotective parents around. At the same time, it appears that children are playing outside less and less.
The percentage of young people who never play outside doubled in five years from 8 to 17 percent, according to research by Jantje Beton from 2022. According to the kids themselves, this is because there is plenty to do on screens at home, and there are too few others on them. are on the street and because they have to do homework.
In addition, fathers and mothers are an obstacle to playing outside. According to educationalist Martin van Rooijen, it is important that they do not interfere with their children’s playing. He received his PhD from the University of Humanistic Studies for research into ‘risky play’: “Climbing on a garage roof or a lamppost. Racing a cross bike, messing around with a hammer and nails, messing around near water and fire, stick fighting.”
Are children raised too protected? Do parents keep an eye on their children too much when they play outside or too much inside for fear that something will happen to them?
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