Letting children slip the leash and engage in risky
outdoor play offers huge benefits to physical, emotional and social health,
says Mariana Brussoni, an assistant professor at the University of British
Columbia’s school of population and public health. Brussoni is lead author of a
review of play research published last week in the International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health. Overprotective
parenting and tediously safe playgrounds contribute to a decline in
rough-and-tumble play and a generation of sedentary children. The report
concludes: “There is a need for action to slow or reverse the trend in order to
promote and preserve children’s health.”