This review highlights the importance of play, particularly outdoor play, for increasing levels of physical activity, alongside other positive influences on a child’s well-being, such as opportunities to understand and respect the natural world. However, children seem to be getting fewer opportunities to play. A combination of poor play environments, busy school schedules and an increase in structured activities has meant that this beneficial and basic children’s right has become sidelined, often perceived as an ‘unaffordable luxury’ (Elkind 2008). Even self-directed play during school break times, which has been linked to improving concentration and behaviour during lesson times (Madsen.
