From 10 to 17 years old, they are also children, let them play!

BarcelonaThe essence of the game is free playThat is, being able to decide who you want to play with, what you want to play, and when you want to play. And for this to be possible, it is necessary for adults to value play—which is not only a vital activity for children, but also a right recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child—and to provide the necessary conditions: time, adequate space, playmates, and autonomy to do so. Play is a source of physical and mental well-being, of learning, and has a positive impact on children's development. But the point is to play for play's sake. Play is a pleasurable activity in which the process is more important than the results. Productive lives, consumer activities, and other tasks and responsibilities that we adults have seem to extend into childhood, and we are gradually forgetting that children up to the age of 17 are still children and have the right to play. In fact, for 10- and 11-year-olds in Barcelona, ​​​​one of the areas of their lives that has been rated the lowest since 2017 is the amount of free time: half of them think they don't have enough.

The potential and immense benefits of play are amplified when it is shared and rich in materials and challenges, not only physical, but also mental and social. Curiosity and challenge are driving forces of play that translate into interest and effort. These are basic life skills, as are empathy and the ability to relate. However, society increasingly pushes children to stop playing well. We are advancing into preadolescence, we are sexualizing clothing, urban spaces are no longer considerate of those over 10, and screens are displacing other forms of play. We need to stop defining adolescents as "little young people" and start thinking of them as "older children."

Spaces for teenagers

Hostility and fear toward the presence of adolescents in public spaces, along with a lack of urban planning and appropriate recreational infrastructure, hinder freedom of access to play during adolescence, as the Committee on the Rights of the Child has warned since 2016. Furthermore, the Committee emphasizes that the right to play, recreational, and artistic activities is both a key element in the search for identity and in relationships with the environment.

The need for better public spaces to play in and their importance in adolescence begins to become apparent from the age of 10. In fact, half of children (54%) are not entirely satisfied with the outdoor spaces in their neighborhood. "When you get older, there aren't many parks where you can go and play," says Jordi, 11, who lives in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella district.

From the program The boys and girls speak, carried out by the Institute for Childhood and Adolescence on behalf of Barcelona City Council, we discovered that children don't stop playing because they're in front of screens, but rather because they can't go outside to play. Therefore, in the midst of the debate over banning cell phones, what they're asking for is fun alternatives away from screens. They call for "a child-friendly city where they can play and live outdoors." They propose more nature, more spaces for fun—not just play areas for toddlers—and streets that allow them to explore the neighborhood on their own.

Not only do children ask for it when we ask them, but there's evidence to support its importance for their well-being. As adults, we give them the opportunity to do so.