Old fashioned children's games 'endangered'





Long gone are the days when children whittled away the hours making paper planes or playing leapfrog it seems, as parents are now paying out rather than playing out with their children.

Research from Morrisons found that more a third of parents (36%) think it’s a must to pay out for family fun as they don’t know how to entertain their children for free.

According to their research, the average family now spends over £30 a week more per child in the school holidays than they do in term time causing families to slide into debt. Old-fashioned free and low cost games such as hopscotch, leapfrog, blind man's buff, jacks and tiddlywinks that filled parents' childhoods have become a thing of the past.

Although 93 per cent of parents regularly played games like these in their youth, 27 per cent of their children have never played them, the survey of 1,000 parents found. Nearly half (47%) of parents questioned wanted their children to have similar childhood experiences to their own, but nearly a fifth (17%) said they didn’t feel confident how to share this fun with their young ones as they had forgotten the way to play and teach them.

Nearly half (46%) of parents said they didn't feel they could teach their children elastics, while 31 per cent said they couldn't teach their child how to make a paper aeroplane. Meanwhile, around 30 per cent of parents had forgotten the basics of leapfrog and hopscotch.

Morrisons in partnership with Play England has launched a Summer Pop-Up Play Park scheme, which will tour the country throughout the summer holidays teaching traditional games and creative activities free of charge.

Sonia Whiteley-Guest, director of brand development at Morrisons, said: "With two children of my own I am constantly looking for fun but low cost solutions to keep the boredom at bay. "Our wider report into summer spending highlighted that parents expect to be in the red as a result of the school holidays, with the average parent predicted to end up £126.95 in debt over the course of the holiday. Eight per cent will accrue a debt of between £250 - £500.

"Entertaining children with these games and the ones we all remember from our childhoods needn’t cost a penny. Those who want to remember the fun and how to play traditional games should head down to the free Summer Play Parks to refresh their memories."

Catherine Prisk, director of Play England, said: "Outdoor and indoor play is essential for children's health, well-being and happiness. It is also important for their future development, to help build vital life and social skills.

"Skipping, elastics, juggling and paper planes are just as much fun for children today – and cost virtually nothing. Many of these games have been around for centuries; hopscotch for example has been a staple child’s game since the 17th century. We need to ensure they are passed on to future generations."

Yahoo Lifestyle