A global spotlight on children’s outdoor play
Today, June 11, marks the International Day of Play – the United Nations’ global day dedicated to play. On the same day, TED releases the official video of head of Centre, Jasper Schipperijn’s talk at TEDxOdense: “Why Don’t Children Play Outside Anymore?”
The official video is now available to a global audience via TED’s official platforms. The talk has also been selected as an Editor’s Pick, a special recognition awarded to only a limited number of TEDx talks.
The release coincides with the International Day of Play, which highlights the importance of play for children’s development, well-being, and rights – an agenda closely aligned with the theme of the talk.
About his talk: “Why Don’t Children Play Outside Anymore?”
The theme of TEDxOdense 2025 was “The Time is Now” – a reminder that today’s choices shape tomorrow’s world.
Yet, as we look around, something essential to childhood – outdoor play – has quietly disappeared. Research reveals a drastic decline in outdoor play over the past two decades, raising urgent questions about its impact on children’s health and well-being.
In his talk “Why Don’t Children Play Outside Anymore?”, Jasper raises a central question about children’s well-being and development: why are children increasingly spending less time playing outside?
Jasper explores the main reasons behind the decline in children’s outdoor play and presents possible solutions – with a clear emphasis on the urgency of taking action now.
A special focus on tweens
A key focus of Jasper’s talk is tweens: children aged 9–14 who are in the transition between childhood and adolescence. Drawing on 20 years of research, he explains why tweens are often overlooked when designing cities, playgrounds, and outdoor spaces.
“Tweens are often forgotten when we talk about playgrounds and urban spaces. It is often said that ‘they don’t really play anymore’, but our research shows that this is not true. If tweens have access to the right places, they are active and spend time outdoors – even if they may not describe it as play themselves,” says Jasper.
Jasper points out that many modern urban and outdoor spaces do not support play – and calls for a collective rethink of how we design environments that allow children and tweens to play, explore, and thrive.
What makes good outdoor spaces for children?
Designing good playgrounds and outdoor spaces starts with listening to children – and allowing them to use spaces on their own terms.
In his talk, Jasper highlights five key elements of good play environments for tweens:
- Variation – one size does not fit all
- Space for non-competitive games
- Challenging activities that create a sense of danger
- Music
- Hang-out places away from adults and smaller kids
The time is now to create the spaces children actually want and need – not only those we as adults imagine.
Watch the full talk to explore how we can rethink outdoor play spaces.
Facts about TED and TEDxOdense
- TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading ideas that inspire and drive change
- TEDx is an offshoot of TED, where local, self-organized events bring people together for a TED-like experience, with guidance from the TED Conference
