POPPING THE BUBBLE WRAP
UNLEASHING THE POWER
OF PLAY
Childhood obesity and
mental health issues are
cause for grave concern
in Australia. A decrease in
children’s outdoor play –
brought on by adults’ worry
for children’s safety – may
be a cause. Could educating
parents and teachers and
changing the modality of
play result in more active and
resilient children?
faculty of
health sciences
A disturbing proportion
of young Australians
currently suffers from
complex health issues
that have the potential
to adversely affect their
long-term development.
Anita Bundy, Professor of
Occupational Therapy at
the University of Sydney’s
Faculty of Health Sciences,
thinks play might provide
a solution.
“Outdoor play is the key to increasing
physical activity and, further to this,
we now know that physical activity
promotes positive mood and emotional
wellbeing by relieving stress and
encouraging adaptability.”
Despite their initial concerns for the
safety of the children and the possible
consequences of injury on their watch,
the teachers noticed that the children in
fact became more social, more creative
and more resilient.
In 2005 Professor Bundy and her team
“The types of materials used in the study
carried out a pilot study investigating the allowed for more active and social play,”
benefits of altering a school playground
says Professor Bundy. “We recorded a
environment, with revealing results.
remarkable increase in physical activity,
and
the teachers observed increased
In a simple yet innovative intervention,
creativity and cooperative negotiation
they placed generic objects such as
between students.”
cardboard boxes, buckets, old tyres,
planks and hay bales in the playground of
a typical western-Sydney school. Twelve
children of varying levels of physical,
social and emotional maturity were then
monitored using the playground over an
11-week period.
As well as observation, the researchers
used accelerometers to assess changes
in the children’s speed of movement.
They also conducted interviews with nine
teachers participating in the pilot.
The trial has now been rolled out across
a further 12 NSW schools under National
Health and Medical Research Council
and Australian Research Council funding.
This simple and cost-effective
intervention has the potential to serve
as both prevention and early-stage
intervention for two of the biggest social
ills currently facing young children in
Australia: obesity and mental ill health.
“We have seen important links
between ‘playfulness’, activity and
adaptability or coping skills,” comments
Professor Bundy.
The implications of this could
revolutionise school playground
design and have great significance for
government policy. However, Professor
Bundy argues that educating adults may
be half the battle.
many parents fail to consider is that
restricting outdoor activities may place
children in greater jeopardy than any
of the risks they intend to avoid in the
first place.”
Professor Bundy is joined by a
distinguished interdisciplinary team on
the project: paediatric exercise and sport
scientist Professor Geraldine Naughton,
psychologist Dr Shirley Wyver, human
geographer
Associate Professor Paul
“Today’s parents are much more fearful of
Tranter,
educator
Professor Wendy
letting their children play outdoors or out
Schiller,
paediatrician
Professor Louise
of their immediate supervision, because
Baur
and
public
health
expert Professor
of perceived risks,” she says. “But what
Adrian Bauman.
more information
Faculty of Health Sciences
PO Box 170
Lidcombe NSW 1825
T +61 2 9351 9161
F +61 2 9351 9412
sydney.edu.au/health_sciences/staff/anita_bundy
ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A