Ask conference - connecting young people and place

Tuesday 1st April 2008, University of Reading UK

It comes as little surprise to most of us that children benefit from being outside, interacting with their environment, learning from nature and developing through play. Sadly children's environments have changed dramatically in recent years: there are fewer accessible natural places and increasingly parents discourage outdoor play. There is increasing evidence that we are rearing a generation that is "outdoor adverse".

Inadequate provision for outdoor learning and play for young people is storing up huge problems for the future. The disconnection of children with their environment is also known to contribute to a whole range of consequences affecting younger people: obesity, inability among children to assess risk, poor spatial understanding, mental health issues, impaired social skills and reduced ability to navigate the real world.

The promotion of better quality environments and more opportunities for play is a crucial issue and we believe that the answers lie in a multi-disciplinary approach. So this conference brought together a multi-disciplinary melting pot of perspectives, skills and experiences from the UK, Japan and Sweden.

Speakers included:

Jane Stoneham, Sensory Trust, UK
Dr Ko Senda, Association for children’s environments, Japan.
Petter Åkerblom, The Department of Urban and Rural Studies at Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet and Movium - Centre for the Urban Environment, Sweden.
Dr Jo Elworthy, Eden Project, UK.
Susan Humphries, Coombes School, UK.
Lynsey Robinson, Sensory Trust, UK.