Not Playing Around

Urban kids shortchanged when it comes to outdoor play; stranger danger fears and recess cuts to blame.  

Canadian kids in urban areas are suffering from lack of outdoor play due to “stranger danger,” not lack of suitable space, say researchers in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta who examined perceived opportunities and barriers to physical activity in an inner-city neighborhood in Edmonton. And in the US, scarce playgrounds and recess cutbacks pose a threat to the mental and physical health of countless urban and low-income youth, says Alison Risso, communications director for KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization aimed to bring play back to children through community outreach, activism, and education.