Permission to Play: why play matters for children and adults

Why are adults finding it harder to switch off?

Today, almost every aspect of our lives can be measured, tracked, and analysed. We monitor our sleep, count our steps, track our productivity, and increasingly feel pressure to use our time efficiently.

While ambition and achievement have their place, our research suggests many parents are finding it harder to switch off, embrace downtime, and do things simply because they enjoy them.

What can adults learn from the way children play?

In contrast, children continue to approach play differently. They create, imagine, explore, and have fun not because there is an outcome to achieve, but because the experience itself brings them joy.

Permission to Play flips the script by giving children the authority to give their parents permission to play. Through personalised permission slips, classroom conversations, and playful experiences, the campaign highlights a simple but powerful truth:

Play is not separate from learning. It is fundamental to creativity, confidence, wellbeing, connection, and lifelong development.