A DEN is the perfect space to retreat to, irrespective of its size or situation and the summer holidays have always been a good time to embark on this fascinating project.
Everyone has fond memories of creating their own and it is easy to assume that children everywhere still throw themselves into this universal activity, but the reality comes as a bit of a surprise.
Recent research has found that two- thirds of parents had adventures outdoors as a child but worry their children do not have the same opportunities today. Just over 40 % of children report they have never made a daisy chain, 32% have never climbed a tree, a quarter have never had the simple pleasure of rolling down a hill, a third have never played hopscotch and one in ten have never ridden a bike, and 29% say they have never built a den, despite 47% of adults having built dens as a child. This lack of outdoor play cannot just be attributed to children preferring to stay indoors with computers and televisions, but is also due in part to parental fears about dangers in playing outside.
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