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Free range play
Free range play is the kind of play kids get up to when left to their own devices. It's about exploring, roaming (not necessarily far, but further than their bedrooms or back garden), playing outside, getting messy, meeting up with other kids, making choices and deciding their own rules, running, jumping, skipping and being active.
It's not about leaving your children unattended for hours on end. Instead it's about creating the opportunities for them to play outdoors and to experience their local community independently and for you both to develop the confidence to make this happen.
Why play is important
Children love to play. As well as being fun, it's vital for their physical, social and emotional development. Play is so important that it is a human right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Active outdoor play - running, jumping, climbing, chasing - is one of the best ways for children to stay physically active because it's fun and they'll forget they're exercising!
Active play helps children:

- stay healthy: it can combat obesity and reduces the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer in later life
- concentrate: it helps them relax, focus at school and sleep better at night
- make friends and develop social skills
- develop their imagination
- learn about risk and improve their self-confidence.
Outdoor play is also a great way to spend time as a family. It's usually free and very easy to organise.


