As the children's mental health crisis continues, an Oxford primary school headteacher says the answer is simpler than we think - playtime.
Tina Farr, from St Ebbe’s School, said: "Something that I was taught right at the start of my career was that small children need to be bored, it allows children to work out what they are passionate about".
Emphasising inexpensive items such as den building items, cardboard, Sellotape, paint, and glue, she says children are innately creative and just require the space to express it.
Ahead of the summer holidays, Ms Farr urges parents to understand the importance of play and outdoor activities in fostering a child’s healthy mental development.
Through a partnership with OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), St Ebbe's has placed outdoor play at the heart of its Key Stage 1 classrooms.
Playtimes are now filled with swinging, building, and creative activities.
(Image: St Ebbe's School and Stone Barrell)
Beyond livening up school life, Ms Farr stresses play's crucial role in improving children's mental health.
She explained: "The children's mental health crisis is hugely complex, but play is the place to start.
"Play develops children's social skills and it builds their resilience.
"With the right approach, we could start to reverse some of the mental health crisis that we're seeing".
Watch the interview on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH8goy54PwY.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel