Play Away?

A plethora of stories suggest tolerance for UK children playing outside is coming under threat. Parents have been aggressively questioned for allowing their children to play in the streets near their houses by local council officials, the police, officious neighbours etc (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/15/cars-dog-poo-and-delivery-drivers-why-children-dont-play-out-anymore). Clearly, it's not always safe or appropriate for children to play 'in the streets'. Having said that, however, children should not simply be banned from the roads because it irriates some people. Play facilities for very young children are often available in UK towns and cities. Even in these cases, it's not always easy to safely get to a park. Parks may also be filled with dog faeces etc. In contrast, however, older children are generally completely uncatered for. Most Youth Clubs have closed, due to council funding shortages. Swimming pools are disappearing, also due to sparse funding and the increased costs of heating. There might well be organised clubs and sports teams in the area. Many parents, however, have insufficient finances to pay for their children's memberships. They may also be unable to repeatedly ferry them to sessions. The UK's obesity epidemic, is also evident in its children. Being overweight, increases the probability of developing type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Physical exercise is a counter to such problems. Group physical exercise/social interactions also improve mental health. Forcing city children to play alone on computer games, is a far from healthy or cost-free option. A little more tolerance, especially from older folk, please!