Why a National Play Strategy Won’t Heal a System Built on Pressure

Whilst dropping my husband off at work, I overheard a discussion on the radio where the presenter was calling for a ‘national play strategy’ for England. While it is true that our children are engaging in less play each and every day, I can’t help but wonder why this conversation is happening now. An increase in play for our children is, of course, a desirable outcome—but the root cause of why children are engaging in less play is not being addressed.

Play Is Not a Plaster

We all know that children thrive in environments where they can fully explore and express themselves through play-based learning. Even though we know this is how children should—and need to—learn, there seems to be so little time allocated to play in the school timetable. Disturbingly, I read in an article that some practitioners do not see the value in play and view it as a distraction from teacher-led instruction. This is an oversimplification of what is actually happening behind closed doors.

Do We Really Believe That Teachers Don’t Want Children to Play?

Let’s think logically. Do we honestly believe that teachers and practitioners want to keep children sitting at desks for hours on end, denying them opportunities to play? Encouraging children to learn in this way is not only stressful for the children—it is taxing for the practitioners as well. Imagine having to train young children to do the very thing they are not biologically hardwired to do: sit still for extended periods.

As a Reception teacher, I constantly felt torn between doing what I knew was right for the children and meeting the expectations placed on me by government standards.

Practitioners do not believe play is a waste of valuable time. We currently live in a system where over-testing and high accountability form the foundation of our education structure. At its core, policy and quality assurance focus on results and on ensuring teachers are doing their jobs (cue the wagging finger).

Disconnect Between School and Society

Many feel our education system no longer reflects the changing demands of modern life. Much of our current policy still has Thatcherism woven throughout. Teachers are being held to standards that make little sense. And even if those standards were producing outstanding results, the pressure might be justifiable—but they’re not. Our outcomes are not near the top of international league tables, so what is this all for? Control.

To cover all curriculum content, teachers are forced to reduce playtime. Every slot on the timetable is packed, leaving no room to breathe.

Heavily Timetabled Lives

It’s not just at school—our children’s lives are heavily scheduled at home too. While routine is important, many children attend multiple after-school clubs and activities. These are valuable experiences, but we forget that the school day itself is already tightly structured. Where is the time to simply be?

Children need space to unwind, to play freely, to relax. Their days are over-scheduled, over-planned, and filled with pressure. Are we really surprised that children’s mental health is suffering? Add to this the growing time spent on screens—which we know affects brain development, emotional regulation, and sleep—and we have a perfect storm where no one can thrive.

The Perfect Storm

Yes, our children need more opportunities to explore and play. But let’s not ignore the real reasons why they aren’t getting that time. Policy and procedure. Unless we see a substantial shift in how our education system is structured, this call for more play will remain unrealistic.

We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by new schemes and well-meaning initiatives. We need to have an honest conversation about the structural changes required. Otherwise, this so-called national play strategy is nothing more than a plaster over a much deeper wound.