2009 research

We published a comprehensive body of research to support the Playday 2009 Make time! campaign.

An opinion poll conducted by ICM found that nearly three-quarters of parents (72%) wanted more time to play with their children or to take them places to play.

More than half of parents (52%) felt that work, or other unavoidable commitments, limited their time to support their children to play. This pressure was intensified by the fact that half of parents said there weren’t enough places where they live, for children to play safely without an adult.

The research also found that children were facing pressures on their time too, with homework and extra-curricular activities impacting heavily on children’s free time. A third of children (34%) and a quarter of 7-8 year olds (25%) reported that homework often stopped them playing, and nearly half of adults (47%), thought children should go to fewer extra-curricular activities.

Children told researchers that being denied time to play made them feel bored, unhappy and miss their friends. Parents recognised this, and reported that children were naughty (72%) and angry (62%) if they hadn’t had enough time to play.

When asked what should happen for children to have more time to play, 73% of adults surveyed (increasing to 76% of parents) said they would like more places to play where children can go independently, and 61% (rising to 66% of parents) would like flexible working arrangements for parents.

Download the Playday 2009 research reports:

Playday 2009 opinion poll summary [30KB] Because it’s freedom – children’s views on their time to play [382KB] Children’s time to play – a literature review [380KB]

Playday schools research

To coincide with the return to school, we released new findings from the Playday opinion poll about play in schools. The opinion poll findings showed that parents and children support our call for schools to make time for play.

Playday 2009 opinion poll – play in schools [24KB]

For more findings, visit our Research page.