WEBINAR: Bringing Back Play in Urban Areas | 11 June 2026
An essential part of children’s learning and development happens outside the classrooms. How can the school’s environment increase children’s health, well-being and learning?
Less Screen Time. More Green Time. Protect Play. Protect Childhood.
An essential part of children’s learning and development happens outside the classrooms. How can the school’s environment increase children’s health, well-being and learning?
Children today are spending less time outdoors than previous generations. In many urban environments, opportunities for free play, exploration, and independent movement are increasingly limited by busy schedules, safety concerns, screen-based lifestyles, and the scarcity of accessible green spaces. Yet play remains one of the most important foundations for children’s physical health, emotional wellbeing, social development, creativity, and learning.
In conjunction with the International Day of Play, The Decline of Play in Urban Areas hopes to bring together educators, health professionals, parents, community practitioners, and advocates to explore the growing loss of play and its implications for childhood. In this dialogue, participants will explore the evidence behind outdoor play, the relationship between play and learning, the impact of excessive screen time, and the role of schools, neighbourhoods, and public spaces in supporting children’s development.
The discussion is particularly relevant for learning spaces, educational architecture, and child-friendly urban design. As schools and communities rethink the environments where children learn and grow, there is a growing need to create spaces that encourage movement, exploration, social interaction, and meaningful connections with nature.
Participants will gain practical insights into how educators, designers, policymakers, and families can work together to protect opportunities for play and create healthier, more inclusive environments for children.
