Think back to your childhood; probably some of your very best memories would have involved playing games, making dens, riding bikes - the list goes on.
We recognise that play is absolutely essential for a child's health, emotionally as well as physically, and we've been busy providing outdoor fun for children and young people.
So much evidence points to the fact that contact with the outdoors and the natural environment is hugely important and essential for healthy development.
Despite this there are still plenty of restrictions, whether fears over personal safety, lack of tolerance towards children and young people or simply the lure of the sofa and computer games. Hastings Borough Council's Play Development team, working with the Hastings and St Leonards Play Forum, has been working hard to improve free play opportunities for children. We've drawn up a play strategy to help us get the best, safe and accessible play areas in the town.
To make sure we deliver our goals, we've managed to get funding from organisations such as the Big Lottery Fund Children's Play Programme, which has helped us organise things such as the community play events and neighbourhood play sessions.
This money will also help us create two environmental play spaces. These will be designed for children of different ages to run around, hide, climb and play, see nature and generally have a messy, muddy good time! At the same time they will be safe, contained areas.
In a changing world, we know that children will always need to play and it's often us adults who stand in the way. Over the next few years look out for lots of opportunities to get your children outside and having fun. Make way for play.
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This page last updated: 19/12/2007