Active Play at Gardens by the Bay

In the picture, the children are playing at an outdoor play area with climbing structures and slides. Some are climbing the net while others are running between the play features, and a few adults are watching from the side. What I also noticed is that the children are of different ages and are helping the smaller ones climb, so they are playing cooperatively rather than each on their own.

My favourite place to play outdoors is the park connector near my house, where my friends and I cycle in the evenings. I like it because there is a long stretch without traffic, so we can ride quite fast, and there is a playground halfway where we stop to rest. Once we cycled all the way to the beach, which took almost an hour, and we were very tired but proud of ourselves. It feels different from playing indoors because you never know who you will meet along the way.

I do not think most children today spend enough time outdoors. Many of us have tuition or enrichment classes after school, and by the time we are free it is already dark or raining. Screens also make it very easy to stay indoors, because a game is always available while going out needs planning and someone to go with. I feel this is a pity, because outdoor play is where you learn to take small risks and to sort out disagreements without an adult stepping in.