At two years of age, daily screen time for a Kiwi pre-schooler averages 1.5 hours. According to an Auckland study*, this increases to two hours each day as the same children turn four.

Within the team at Sport Canterbury, Play Innovator Adam Gard'ner is actively engaging communities around the value of movement, connection and freedom from devices, at a time when tamariki have high digital expectations. 

"We know what our tamariki may be accustomed to," says Sport Canterbury Chief Executive Julyan Falloon. "In this environment, we take our responsibility seriously, to advocate for the value of play, and its benefits for the physical and mental health of Christchurch families."

In his travels, canvassing parents and children alike at settings across the city, Gard'ner often uses play as an icebreaker. 

At this weekend's Culture Galore festival at Ray Blank Park in Ilam, he saw hundreds of people of all ages intrigued by the "Play Zone" that his Healthy Families Ōtautahi team created in partnership with Christchurch Budgeting Services.

Gard'ner overheard someone in the crowd ask their child, upon arriving at the park, whether they wanted to have an ice cream, watch the concert, or play. 

"Play," was the quick reply, followed by the eight-year-old's question: "How much does it cost?"

The "Play Zone" consisted of hula hoops, a tyre swing, Jenga blocks, plastic ten pin bowling and a four-wheeled wagon. Over the four hours of the festival, the area was never quiet, it was always buzzing with activity. 

"The response was massive," says the father of three, who took on this new role created by the Regional Sports Trust in 2019. "Beyond expectations."

He used the opportunity to engage with the crowd and listen to their thoughts on why play is so important, and what barriers there are for families, who may not make time to play together.

He praised Christchurch Budgeting Services for identifying Culture Galore as an ideal place to gather insights from the community - and to invite people of all ages to have a go at simple activities that made the day more memorable. 

"Play shouldn't have to cost anything," Gard'ner emphasises.

And through his role, he will help communities recognise that despite it being "free", play holds massive value in terms of physical and emotional health. 

"If opportunities to play are more accessible and better appreciated by people of all ages," Falloon adds, "it may be enough to transform the future of a city."

* Researchers at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the University of Auckland analysed screen-time data from more than 5,000 participants from the Growing Up in New Zealand sutdy as they aged from 24 to 54 months. 

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Article added: Tuesday 25 February 2020