Modern life 'is destroying children's play'

A generation of children are being "contaminated" by a cocktail of addictive computer games, test-driven schooling, increased traffic and an irrational fear of strangers which leaves them unable to play outside, according to a lobby of more than 270 experts.

In a letter to the The Daily Telegraph, the group of academics, authors and charity leaders say modern life has eroded children's ability to leave their homes unsupervised, seriously undermining their long-term development.

They call for a rethink on the nature and value of play to ensure a generation of children do not grow up lacking creativity, independence and basic social skills.

The letter - signed by Baroness Greenfield, the director of the Royal Institution, the authors Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo and Dr Penelope Leach, the childcare expert - comes exactly 12 months after a similar letter to The Telegraph attacked politicians and the public for failing to understand how children develop.

It sparked the paper's Hold On To Childhood campaign and provoked a national debate on young people, with contributions from the Archbishop of Canterbury and all major political parties. A year on, experts claim there is little evidence of significant reform.

Writing today, they say: research evidence underlining the "marked deterioration in children's mental health" has continued to mount, insisting that a "key factor in this disturbing trend is the marked decline over the last 15 years in children's play".

The letter comes days after ministers launched a consultation on what should be done to improve children's lives.

Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and author of the book Toxic Childhood who helped circulate the letter, said: "Things started to move after last year's letter but too many people remain ignorant of three or four key issues affecting children, one of the most important of which is play."

However, Lord Adonis, the schools minister, insisted the claims of the death of childhood were exaggerated.

"I reject the pessimism that now is a bad time to be a child," he said. "But there are fresh challenges facing Britain which is why we have kick-started a national debate about what more we can do to help children during the next decade."