Two children, one on a scooter and the other on a small skateboard, are walking together in a park. The older child is helping the younger one, who is wearing a pig-shaped helmet, along a paved path surrounded by trees.

Reclaiming childhood. Rebuilding community.

Once upon a time, kids roamed the streets, played until dusk, and made their own adventures - all without adult supervision. They learned independence, made lifelong friends, and grew into confident, capable adults.

Today, fear and over-supervision have pushed that world into memory.

It's time to bring it back.

Boy climbing on a tree in a forest while a girl sits on a branch in the background.

The Child-Friendly Community

WHAT IS IT

A critical element in raising psychologically healthy children. The skills and knowledge kids acquire when they spend a chunk of their time out on their own are priceless and necessary if they are to grow into mature, confident and self-reliant adults.

These include:

  • Problem solving

  • Negotiation

  • Compromise

  • Tolerance

  • Making/keeping friends

  • Pooling resources

  • Making decisions

  • Dealing with problems

  • Taking sensible risks

  • Managing anxiety of new situations

What Does a Child-Friendly Community Look Like?

Orange outline drawing of a basketball-shaped domino set with numbers 10, 1, 5, 6, 7, 5, and 2, arranged vertically.
Line drawing of a smiling girl with pigtails, wearing a dress with a small pocket, and shoes.

Children from at least 8 yrs are on the streets and in parks and shops in daylight hours without adult supervision

Children having fun on a slip and slide outdoors on a grassy area on a cloudy day.

They are free to play within agreed neighbourhood boundaries

They regularly play independently away from home - on the pavement, in quiet streets and parks - in groups and on their own

Groups of children roaming about on their own with no adult supervision are a common sight

Children play their own games, make their own rules and resolve their own squabbles independently of parents and neighbours

Children are known to their neighbours and can seek help when needed from anyone who supports the community

They leave home and come back at agreed times, and phone if they are running late

Group of children playing outdoors near a tree and a lake, smiling and laughing.
Outline drawing of a boy wearing shorts, a striped shirt, and a jacket, with short messy hair and a smile.
Two children riding bicycles along a seaside promenade on a clear, sunny day.

They regularly meet other kids without adult company and make new friends

Adults in the neighbourhood understand and support a child-friendly community

Adults are aware kids are about and keep an eye on them but don’t intervene except in a genuine emergency

Orange line drawing of a sun with a circular center and radiating rays on a black background.

It is no coincidence that the disappearance of child-friendly communities and the essential extinction of free play opportunities have been accompanied by the alarming increases in childhood mental health disorders.

4-17 yr olds were assessed as having mental health disorders in the last 12 months (Young Minds Matter)

1 in 7

of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute)

Almost 75%

of all lifetime mental illnesses begin at age 14
(National Mental Health Commission)

50%

Start a Child-Friendly Community in Your Neighbourhood

Want to see the positive impact on your streets with your children?

Orange spiral logo on a white background.

Read the Positive Parenting Guide Here

It gives more in-depth information into the steps, benefits for young children and the positive impacts it can have on our neighbourhoods.

Set Safe Boundaries

Child-friendly doesn’t mean neglectful parenting. Set safe boundaries within the community that are agreed upon between parent and child.

Talk to Your Neighbours and Host a Community Meeting

Community works through collaboration and everyone being on the same page. Share our free flyers and downloadable resources.

Normalise Seeing Unsupervised Children Playing

Letting kids be kids out on the streets and in the parks, without adult supervision, is healthy for their development and resilience building. It is not a cause for concern unless in a genuine emergency.

Welcome All Kids

Open your home to children within the neighbourhood and ask neighbours to do the same, allowing kids to feel safe within an agreed boundary.

Engage Local Council and Police

Explain the benefits of a Child-Friendly Community and prevent misunderstandings.

Orange TikTok logo with a stylized network diagram design of lines and circles on a black background.
An orange outline drawing of a game of giant jenga with numbered blocks, some blocks removed, including blocks numbered 10, 1, 5, 3, 2, and 6.
Orange line drawing of a girl with braids, wearing a dress with a pocket, and shoes.
A simple line drawing of a young boy with short hair, wearing a striped shirt, shorts, and shoes, smiling and standing with arms relaxed.
Orange hand-drawn illustration of the sun with a circular center and radiating lines on a black background.

It takes a village.

Creating a child-friendly community doesn’t just benefit kids, it revitalises entire neighbourhoods.

A woman and a young boy with curly hair are inside a white fabric teepee, laughing and playing with a book. The woman is lying on the floor, holding a book with a zigzag pattern, while the boy is lying on his stomach on a cushion, resting his chin on his hand and smiling at the woman.

Parents get a break from 24/7 supervision

Row of brick houses with tiled roofs and a conservatory in the foreground, under a clear blue sky.

Neighbours connect with local children and foster a renewed sense of community

A young girl with long brown hair climbing a tree and smiling at the camera.

Kids grow up confident, capable, and happier