Young children, place and movement – during social distancing and beyond

Chartered College of Teaching · Young children, place and movement - during social distancing and beyond The access young children and their families have to different kinds of spaces, and what they are able to do in these spaces, has shifted dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Stenning and Russell (2020), among others, have campaigned during lockdown for the need for families to access neighborhood public spaces and the importance for children of physically distanced play. In particular, although the right to take a daily walk or run for exercise has been available throughout lockdown, as Stenning and Russel point out, the physical activity of young children can take very different forms. They write, 'Though some older children and teenagers may enjoy running, cycling or (currently disallowed) team sports, younger children mostly get their physical activity through play - scooting, chasing, inventing and exploring, stopping and starting, jumping, kicking balls,