Findings at a glance from the INTERPLAY UK project
Results from play surveys in Britain
The British Children’s Play Survey (BCPS) was conducted in 2020 with a total of 1919 parents of children aged 5–11 years old in Britain
The British Preschool Children’s Play Survey (BPCPS) was conducted in 2023 with a total of 1166 parents of children aged 2-4 years old in Britain
The survey collected questionnaires about the family, about the health and context of the children and different questions about parent attitudes towards play
Gender differences in caregivers’ attitudes to risky play in children aged 5-11 years
No difference between male and female caregivers’ overall attitudes
Gender differences were prominent for specific play activities and attitudes, with male caregivers demonstrating higher tolerance for the riskiest activities.
Parents of boys expressed more permissive attitudes toward engagement in risky play
Parental psychological distress and their attitudes and tolerance towards risky play in children aged 2-11 years
Amongst parents of preschoolers aged 2-4 years, links between psychological distress and parental attitudes varied by parent gender.
Amongst parents of school-aged children aged 5-11 years, higher distress was linked to more protective attitudes and less support for risk engagement.
Parents experiencing higher distress may be less comfortable supporting children’s risk-taking play.
