NEW RESEARCH: OUTDOOR PLAY IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING

According to Savlon and Play England, two thirds of parents always had adventures outdoors as a child but worry their children do not have the same opportunities today.

• 42 per cent of children report they have never made a daisy chain
• 32 per cent have never climbed a tree
• A quarter of children today have never had the simple pleasure of rolling down a hill
• 47 per cent of adults built dens every week as a child, yet 29 per cent of today’s children say they have never built a den at all
• A third of children have never played hopscotch
• One in ten children have never ridden a bike

The research confirms parents’ concerns that children are no longer spending their time playing outdoors. 72 per cent of adults played outside rather than indoors, compared to 40 per cent of children today, with children now at risk of losing out on essential childhood experiences that outdoor play brings.

The research marks the launch of Playday, supported by Savlon. Playday is the national day for play in the UK, a celebration of children’s right to play and a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. The campaign is coordinated by Play England, part of the leading children’s charity the National Children’s Bureau, working in partnership with Play Wales, PlayBoard Northern Ireland and Play Scotland. Visit www.playday.org.uk for more information. To celebrate the national day for play on 3 August 2011, nationwide events are being held across the UK to encourage families to get outdoors and play.

I can’t pretend I often, if ever, let my children loose on their own. We live in a busy part of London, and I’m always too concerned about traffic to let them head to the park on their own. But we do spend a lot of time there, climbing trees and chasing pigeons. Playday sounds a great idea; hope you agree.

Are your child’s vocal skills even better than those of an X Factor winner?

If a resounding ‘Simon Cowell, listen and weep’ is your response, read on.

Song Academy has launched its inaugural children’s songwriting competition, following research that reveals that many children love writing their own song lyrics at home, they know how they’d like it to sound, yet can’t compose the music for their song.  This competition provides a chance to have their lyrics brought to life with music composed by Song Academy’s professional musicians in exactly the way they’d like.

Heart’s  Jamie Theakston, Nicky Cox editor of First News, Barry Mason, one of the world’s leading songwriters, and conductor Charles Hazlewood are on the judging panel.

The inaugural Song Academy songwriting competition is open to children aged 6-11 years (in academic years 2-6), at school in the UK.  Children are required to write lyrics about something important to them, and the song needs to have a title. Entry is free of charge. An instruction sheet is recommended to be written, detailing how the song is to be performed. Typical instructions might include: are there sections that you want to be rapped or sung? Is there a certain style you would like the song to be in? Perhaps even a different feel for each section? The more detailed your instructions and musical directions, the better chance you have of winning. Presentation and decoration of the instruction sheet will also be taken into consideration – think of it like artwork for a CD case.

They'd like to teach the world to sing...

The winner will have music composed for their lyrics to bring their song to life, and a recording will be made in MP3 format (downloadable onto itunes), which will be a unique opportunity for them to share their achievement with friends and family. Plus the winner will receive a prize of Now 70-78 CDs – a selection of the best chart music between 2008 to present.

The entry deadline is 10 June 2011, and you can take a look at all the rules here.