The Right to Play: Access to Safe Public Parks
Children need to play in a clean and safe environment. Playing touch/tag, making up games and playing hide and seek are more than just ways to pass the time – they are key activities for child development. According to the World Health Organisation’s 2026 report titled ‘Guide to Creating Urban Public Spaces for Children’, playing […] The post The Right to Play: Access to Safe Public Parks appeared first on The Namibian .
Children need to play in a clean and safe environment.
Playing touch/tag, making up games and playing hide and seek are more than just ways to pass the time – they are key activities for child development.
According to the World Health Organisation’s 2026 report titled ‘Guide to Creating Urban Public Spaces for Children’, playing is essential for keeping children physically fit and healthy and teaching them skills they will use throughout their lives, including: healthy relationship building, conflict resolution, and resilience.
Whether it is a neighbourhood park, a school playground, or a backyard, children need safe, open, outdoor spaces to play.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s 2021 discussion paper, ‘The Necessity of Urban Green Space for Children’s Optimal Development’, reported that access to green spaces leads to improved cognition, greater physical activity and fewer behavioural and social issues among young people.
