Right to Sport UK 2026: Outdoor Play at Home | Jaques of Lon
The phrase 'Right to Sport' has begun to appear in policy conversations about how children in England are taught to move, play, and compete. For most families, the practical question is simpler: what happens after the school bell rings?
School can offer the timetable, but the garden offers the habit. A skipping rope by the back door, a set of skittles on the lawn, a croquet mallet leaning against the shed — these are the small invitations that turn a policy into a Tuesday afternoon.
Since 1795 we have made games meant to be handled and knocked about. The outdoor equipment is built from responsibly sourced FSC-certified timber and tested to UKCA and CE safety standards, because play that lasts a childhood has to survive being left out in the rain. Our outdoor games are made to be used, not admired.
What Is the 'Right to Sport' and What Has the Government Actually Changed?
The 'Right to Sport' describes a growing effort to treat physical education as an entitlement rather than an optional extra — a guarantee that every child, regardless of school or postcode, has access to quality PE and competitive sport.
It builds on earlier policy. The Primary PE and Sport Premium, first introduced in 2013, provided ring-fenced funding to primary schools in England specifically to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport. That money was meant to be spent on PE, not absorbed into general budgets.
The idea has deeper roots still. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31, explicitly recognises the right of every child to rest, leisure, play, and participation in recreational activities appropriate to their age. Sport, in this reading, is not a luxury but a recognised part of growing up.
What has changed in practice is emphasis. The direction of travel is towards protected time, broader access, and a recognition that competitive and recreational play both matter. A child who never learns to catch, throw, or balance at school is at a measurable disadvantage.
But a school term is roughly 190 days. The remaining 175 belong to families. Whatever the curriculum guarantees, the bulk of a child's active life happens at home, in the garden, or at the park.
That is where the home routine comes in — and where a modest shelf of equipment does more than any policy document. The point of understanding the change is to act on it. Our children toys exist to make that action easy.
Why Getting Children Active Outside School Matters More Than Ever
The case for daily movement is not a matter of opinion. The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines recommend that children and young people aged 5–18 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day.
Sixty minutes sounds like a lot until you break it down. A game of rounders, twenty minutes of skipping, a walk to the park and a climb on the frame — these add up quickly when movement is woven into the day rather than scheduled as a chore.
The benefits run beyond fitness. Research published in the journal Pediatrics found that regular unstructured outdoor play is associated with reduced symptoms of ADHD in children. Open space and free movement appear to settle attention in a way that a screen cannot.
That last point deserves weight. Much outdoor activity today is organised, timed, and supervised. Children benefit enormously from the opposite — unstructured play, where they set the rules and resolve the squabbles themselves. We have gathered the evidence on this in our look at independent outdoor play in Britain and what the data shows.
There is also the simple matter of attention economics. Every hour spent outside is an hour not spent on a device, and the pull of screens is relentless. Some families find that analogue alternatives to smartphones ease the transition back to physical play.
None of this requires a sports club membership or a large garden. A ball, a rope, and a patch of grass will cover most of it. Our outdoor games are designed for exactly this kind of ordinary, repeated, unglamorous use.
How to Build a Genuine Outdoor Play Routine at Home
A routine survives on friction, or the lack of it. The easiest way to guarantee outdoor play is to remove every obstacle between the child and the door.
Start with visibility. Keep a basket of garden equipment where it can be seen and grabbed — balls, a skipping rope, bats, a set of skittles. If the kit lives in a loft, it stays in the loft. Our wooden toys are handsome enough to leave out in plain sight.
Anchor play to existing habits. After breakfast, before dinner, the first half hour home from school — attach the activity to a moment that already exists and it needs no willpower to maintain. Our guide to 30-minute independent play activities by age offers starting points that fit real family timetables.
Aim for little and often rather than a single heroic session. Three short bursts of twenty minutes meet the daily guideline more reliably than one reluctant hour. Weather permitting, the garden does most of the work.
Resist the urge to organise everything. Set out the equipment and step back. Children who invent their own games stay engaged far longer than those handed a fixed set of instructions. Our round-up of the best outdoor toys for screen-free garden play leans into this principle.
Finally, play alongside them when you can. A parent willing to pick up a croquet mallet or lose a game of skittles does more to build the habit than any amount of encouragement from the sidelines. Shared play is sticky play.
Rainy days need a fallback. When the garden is out of bounds, our board games keep the spirit of play alive indoors without surrendering to a screen.
What Equipment Do Children Actually Need to Play Outside at Every Age?
The equipment list is shorter than most parents expect, and it changes with age rather than expanding endlessly.
For the youngest, from toddling to around four, the goal is balance and confidence. Soft balls to kick and chase, simple stacking and pushing toys, and plenty of room to wobble about. Our wooden toys at this stage are about handling and gross motor movement, not competition.
From five to seven, hand-eye coordination comes to the fore. This is the age for a first bat and ball, bean bags to throw, and a skipping rope. Garden skittles reward aim without demanding great strength, and our outdoor games cover this bracket well.
Between eight and eleven, children can manage games with rules and strategy. Rounders, French cricket, and croquet all introduce turn-taking, tactics, and a little friendly rivalry. The physical skills sharpen while the social ones develop alongside.
For older children and teenagers, the challenge is keeping them interested against the pull of screens. Games that scale in difficulty hold their attention — a proper croquet set, giant garden draughts, or a competitive game of boules that adults can join in on equal terms.
Quality matters more than quantity across every age. One well-made set that survives years of use teaches more than a cupboard of flimsy plastic that breaks by August. Our children toys are built to be handed down, not thrown away.
If you are buying for a birthday or Christmas, our notes on the best educational gifts for children set out which games earn their keep year after year.
Which Garden Games and Outdoor Toys Best Support the Right to Sport Goals?
The 'Right to Sport' goals come down to a few practical outcomes: daily movement, breadth of activity, and genuine enjoyment. The right garden games deliver all three without feeling like homework.
Skittles are the obvious starting point. They demand aim and repetition, suit a wide age range, and work for one child or a whole group. A wooden set from our outdoor games will outlast several summers.
Croquet rewards patience and tactics. It is slower than it looks, which is part of its value — children learn to plan a shot, wait their turn, and read the lawn. It also draws adults in, making it a genuine family game rather than a children's one.
Garden games that scale to giant size, such as oversized draughts or dominoes, bridge the gap between movement and thought. They keep older children engaged and make a strong case against the screen. Many of these sit happily across our wooden toys and our board games alike.
Classic ball games — rounders, French cricket, catch — cover the moderate-to-vigorous activity the guidelines ask for. They need little kit and almost no setup, which is exactly why they get played.
For families thinking about reducing screen time more broadly, pairing outdoor sets with analogue alternatives to smartphones builds a consistent message: the interesting things happen off the device.
The thread running through all of it is simple. Equipment that is well made, easy to reach, and genuinely fun does more for a child's activity than any policy can. Since 1795 that has been our only real business — and our outdoor games are where it begins in the garden.
Frequently Asked Questions About Right To Sport
What is the Right to Sport in the UK?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31 (1989), explicitly recognises every child's right to rest, leisure, play, and participation in recreational activities appropriate to their age. In the UK, this principle underpins physical education policy, including the Primary PE and Sport Premium, introduced in 2013, which provided ring-fenced funding to primary schools in England to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport. Together, these frameworks establish play and sport not as optional extras but as recognised entitlements for all children.
What are the new PE requirements for primary schools in England?
The Primary PE and Sport Premium, first introduced by the Department for Education in 2013, provided ring-fenced funding specifically to help primary schools in England improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport on offer. Schools must demonstrate how funding is used and show its impact on pupils' physical activity levels and skills. The Premium has driven greater investment in qualified coaching, equipment, and extracurricular sport, raising expectations around what primary-age children should experience in physical education throughout their school career.
How much outdoor play do children need each day?
According to the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019), children and young people aged 5–18 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. This activity can be spread across the day rather than achieved in one session. Outdoor play — whether informal garden games, cycling, or structured sport — contributes meaningfully towards this target. Encouraging active play outside is one of the most practical and enjoyable ways for children to meet the recommended daily amount.
What are the benefits of outdoor play for children's development?
Outdoor play supports children's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Research published in the journal Pediatrics (Kuo & Taylor, 2004) found that regular unstructured outdoor play is associated with reduced symptoms of ADHD in children. Beyond attention and focus, active outdoor time builds coordination, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. It also encourages social skills, creativity, and resilience through free exploration and group games. The UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019) recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily, much of which outdoor play can naturally provide.
How do I get my child active outside when they just want to watch screens?
Start by making outdoor play feel appealing rather than obligatory. Introduce a new garden game, join in yourself, or invite a friend over — social play is a powerful motivator. Structured games with clear rules and a competitive element, such as croquet, skittles, or quoits, give children a goal to engage with. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend 60 minutes of physical activity daily for children aged 5–18, so even short bursts of garden activity count. Rotating equipment and trying new games regularly helps sustain interest over time.
What outdoor games can children play in a small garden?
A small garden is no barrier to active play. Games such as quoits, boules, skittles, and swing ball require minimal space yet provide genuine physical activity and encourage hand-eye coordination. Traditional target games can be played on a patio or lawn without specialist surfaces. For younger children, simple bat-and-ball sets work well in confined areas. Jaques of London, founded in 1795 and the world's oldest games and toys manufacturer, produces a wide range of compact outdoor games suited to typical British garden sizes, built to withstand regular outdoor use.
What age can children start playing sports at home?
Children can begin enjoying structured outdoor games from around three years old, starting with simple target games, rolling balls, and basic bat-and-ball activities that build coordination and concentration. By primary school age — broadly 5 to 11 — children are ready for games with rules, scoring, and mild competition, such as croquet, skittles, or short tennis. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recognises play as a right from birth, and the key at every age is matching the activity to a child's physical and cognitive development.
How do I keep children active outside in winter?
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines recommend 60 minutes of physical activity daily for children aged 5–18, regardless of season. In winter, the key is appropriate clothing — waterproofs and layers remove most weather objections. Choose games that involve movement to stay warm, such as relay races, garden skittles, or swing ball. Shorter, more frequent bursts of outdoor activity work well on colder days. Even 10–15 minutes of energetic garden play several times a day accumulates towards the daily target and maintains the habit of being active outdoors year-round.
What garden toys are worth buying for primary school age children?
For primary school age children (roughly 5–11), the most worthwhile garden toys combine physical activity with replayability. Croquet sets, skittles, quoits, boules, and swing ball all encourage coordination, strategic thinking, and can involve the whole family. Equipment that supports rule-based games tends to hold children's attention longer than purely physical apparatus. Jaques of London, founded in 1795 and recognised as the world's oldest games and toys manufacturer, specialises in traditional outdoor games built for durability and repeated use — qualities that make them genuinely good value over many seasons.
Does outdoor play count towards my child's daily physical activity?
Yes. The UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019) recommend that children aged 5–18 accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, and outdoor play counts fully towards this total. Active garden games such as swing ball, skittles, or croquet heart rate and engage muscles, qualifying as moderate activity. Unstructured outdoor play — running, chasing, climbing — also contributes. Activity does not need to occur in a single session; multiple shorter periods of outdoor play throughout the day combine to meet the recommended daily amount.
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