I have to say, though, that the title of this article made me feel I had to comment on the limited view of play represented by the AAP statement.  My own research on childhood in one disadvantaged community led me to understand that low-income in “bad neighborhoods” kids may actually have better opportunities for free play than their middle- and upper middle-class counterparts.  The reasons for this revolve around the cultures of childhood and parenting that cause many parents to use the resources they have to shelter and isolate kids from everyday neighborhood environments, other people in their community, and spaces and situations that lend themselves to unsupervised and unstructured play.  Children in low income neighborhoods, whether out of necessity or thoughtful parenting,are allowed to navigate to school and store on their own, to develop and practice self-supervision, to occupy themselves in play without the aid of electronic aids that provide a plot and structure, and even to be active participants in meaningful household and community activities that don’t look like play to us but are good, developmentally appropriate play for kids.  If we understand that play is imaginative and creative, and not only (or even necessarily) physically active, then we should be  concerned about the lack of play happening in many neighborhoods replete with beautiful playgrounds just as much as we are concerned about the dangers of mobility and the failure to allocate open space for kids in low-income neighborhoods.

Thanks for the great reporting and for allowing comments!

Certainly my hope is that a playground in Downtown DC would serve all children in the area, including a large number of children who live in the neighborhoods north of Downtown. There is a huge population that frequents MLK Library. I expect that we would serve the same population.

As for my child, I know that I have to make play a priority for her, so that she will get enough exercise and go to bed. I find it frustrating. When life gets really busy, her play slips through the cracks. So I totally understand how play can completely fall off the radar screen for low-income families or families dealing with stressful situations. Play opportunities should be made available so that it is an integral part of everyday life and not something you have to put so much effort in to provide for your child.