AS OUR SOCIETY becomes increasingly urbanised, chances for children to play outdoors have come under threat. A recently published report on playground provision in Ireland confirms what parents already know.

Increasingly, we are concerned about even letting children out to play - for fear of everything from strangers to infected syringes.

However, playing outside is essential for children, more than just an opportunity to let off a bit of steam. "Children are the primary users of the outdoors," says Mary McKee, director of PlayBoard, a Belfast based organisation which promotes children's right to play. "Through play they develop various social skills, physical skills and intellectual skills. Playing outside affords particular developmental opportunities and gives children a unique chance to interact with and understand their environment."

Robin Moore, president of the International Play Association, takes a similar view. "Through an international project called `Growing up in Cities', we have been examining the outdoor environment as a child's habitat. We have been working with children, asking what they do and don't like about their environment, to develop an understanding of their relationship with their environment.

"In fact, children don't discuss play - it is so integrated into their lives. Adults have taken it out and made it into something special, and now we need to reintegrate play into the community."

Supervised playground provision is seen as one measure which would meet the needs of children. "In Dun Laoghaire we have the only supervised play centre in the country of which I am aware," says Peter O'Brien, education officer with Dun Laoghaire Youth Service.

The play centre was originally built decades ago for the children who lived locally and had no back gardens. Local authorities built playgrounds which they supervised," O'Brien says, "but during the cutbacks in the 1970s playground supervisors were relocated and many playgrounds were closed down. Ours was the only local authority that kept on a supervisor, and we now have two trained play leaders working here."

The playground was rebuilt last year and is regarded as one of the best in the State. "We have tennis, basketball and football facilities which we alternate daily," O'Brien says. "We also have swings and other equipment, as well as sand and water play for younger children. We are growing a herb garden at the moment and the children will all be involved in helping to maintain it.

Supervision in playgrounds is needed now more than ever. Just putting in equipment in an area is a missed opportunity. Play leaders offer parents a sense of safety, they help manage the play area, they create developmental opportunities for the children and especially where play leaders come from the local area and know the children and their families - they can offer support and advice."

According to Grounds For Play, a report on playgrounds written by Margaret Webb, 46 per cent of local authorities who responded to her survey do not provide any playground. Vandalism was cited as one of the main reasons; Webb recommends supervision as one way to reduce vandalism.

The report also asks whether such damage is done because there is no other appropriate facility for young people. A familiar complaint is of young people hanging out in playgrounds, particularly at night, causing damage. Although vandalism is an ever present problem, it can be controlled by appropriate design and management procedures, Webb says.

HOWEVER, while playgrounds can offer children wonderful opportunities, they should not be seen as a panacea. Noirin Hayes, head of social sciences at the DIT, says "playgrounds are only one factor. If we focus too much on providing playground space we don't address the real problem, which is that our environment is increasingly hazardous for children. We have to start planning communities around all the citizens, and that includes children.

"Back gardens can be fine play areas for those who have them. But even back garden space is shrinking. Play is, by its nature, noisy and children need space to make plenty of noise without impinging on the neighbours. They need to have the freedom to be children."

PlayBoard's Mary McKee agrees that there is an urgent need to reexamine how our residential environments are developing. "Play is informal education, and to play happily children need an environment that affords them absolute freedom.

"At the moment the car has primacy here, despite the danger it poses to children. We should begin by creating traffic calming measures, and even block off streets for children to play. We should also plant trees and shrubs, which cheer up environments and provide children with opportunities to play and learn about nature."

Involving the whole community - including children - in developing child friendly spaces changes the dynamic between the community and the environment, by genuinely meeting needs and creating a sense of ownership and pride.

"Partnership between communities and local authorities to develop play programmes in an area is the only way forward," Peter O'Brien says. "The community here in Dun Laoghaire worked together to make this new playground possible and now it is here as a facility which benefits the whole community. Grandparents, children and grandchildren all meet here - our play centre has taken the place of the doorstep from the point of view of socialising.

"We also provide a support network for parents who are having any difficulty coping, and we have contact with both local homeschool liaison officers and the community gardai."

Researchers Opie and Opie famously said, "Where children are is where they play". O'Brien says "you can measure a country's maturity by the respect shown for children. Provision for play is one of the most important indications of how a society provides for its children."

Margaret Webb's report on playground provision concludes that developing children's access to outdoor play requires a government playground policy.