Children’s play is central to holistic development, contributing to physical health, social skills, emotional resilience, and cognitive growth. However, in Ghana, particularly in Sagnarigu-Municipality Tamale in the Northern Region, several dangers have emerged that impede children's ability to engage in safe and enriching play. This qualitative study explores these associated dangers through semi-structured interviews with parents, community members, educational officers, and health officials. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the New Sociology of Childhood by James & Prout, the study identifies key factors mitigating against children’s play: lack of structured recreational facilities, security concerns, urbanization, digital distractions, cultural misconceptions, and environmental hazards. Thematic analysis revealed the cumulative effect of these dangers on children’s rights, well-being, and social development. The study concludes with recommendations aimed at Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, policymakers, urban planners, and community stakeholders to foster safer, healthier, and inclusive environments that support children’s play in Ghana.
ABSTRACT
Children’ s play is central to holistic development, contributing to physical health, social skills, emotional resilience, and cognitive growth. However, in Ghana, particularly in Sagnarigu- Municipality Tamale in the Northern Region, several dangers have emerged that impede children's ability to engage in safe and enriching play. This qualitative study explores these associated dangers through semi-structured interviews with parents, community members, educational officers, and health officials. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the New Sociology of Childhood by James & Prout, the study identifies key factors mitigating against children’s play: lack of structured recreational facilities, security concerns, urbanization, digital distractions, cultural misconceptions, and environmental hazards. Thematic analysis revealed the cumulative effect of these dangers on children’s rights, well-being, and social development. The study concludes with recommendations aimed at Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, policymakers, urban planners, and community stakeholders to foster safer, healthier, and inclusive environments that support children’ s play in Ghana.
Keywords: Children’s play, urbanization, recreational facilities, environmental hazards, digital distractions, Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale-Ghana, child safety, traditional games.
1. Introduction
Play is well-recognized as a very key component of a child’ s life, and the activities that constitute children’s play can evolve (Gill, 2021) and may be more or less emphasized in different settings depending on the attitudes to children and to play, which are affected by cultural, socio-economic, and environmental circumstances. For example, in Ghana, the play environment is affected not only by physical factors like playground availability but also by cultural perceptions and socioeconomic conditions. Many researchers noted the different aspects and nature of play across different settings (Voce, 2018). Play scholars and activists define a hazard as a danger in the environment that could seriously injure or endanger a child and is beyond the child’s capacity to recognize (Brussoni et al., 2015). Risk is then defined as the challenges and uncertainties within the environment that a child can recognize and learn to manage by choosing to encounter them while determining their limits (Spiegal et al., 2014).
Across the world, it is generally accepted that play is critical to children’s emotional and physical development, health, and general well-being (Janssen & King, 2015; Lambert et al., 2019). Consequently, children’s ability to play is recognized under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Article 12 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). Both articles of these international conventions recognized the right of every child “to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts” (Alanazi, et al. 2020).
Also, playgrounds for children’s play have gained international recognition in recent years, reflected in their inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Target 11.7 of SDG 11 on sustainable cities states that: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green spaces, in particular for children, older persons and persons with disabilities” (UN General Assembly, 2015, 22). This means that both developed and developing countries including Ghana are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that their populations (including children) have access to parks, open and greenspaces, and playgrounds (Shoari et al., 2021) because they aid in not only good health but also provide emotional and psychological benefits like reduction of depression and stress and enhance self-esteem (Beyer et al.,2014; Aspinall et al., 2015; Feng et al., 2017; Tillmann et al., 2018).
Randomized and quasi-randomized studies show that the greening of vacant urban land for play may contribute to reduced crime and violence (Garvin et al., 2012; Macdonald et al.,2021), build social networks and cohesion (Shoari et al., 2021), reduce the likelihood and risk of overweight and obesity in children (Dadvand et al., 2014), increase physical activity (Raney et al., 2019), and improve mental health (Liu et al.,2019). Playgrounds and public open spaces also serve as places of relaxation and contact with the natural environment (Dadvand et al. 2014). Again, children’s play and games are essential components of childhood development. They foster creativity, physical health, social skills, and emotional intelligence. In Ghana, traditional games like ampe, pilolo, alibela, and kyinkyinga ball have for generations served as both entertainment and informal education for children.
However, Janssen & King (2015) and Lambert et al. (2019) have argued that several dangers have emerged that threaten the safety and existence of these playful pastimes. For instance, children in my neighborhood always used to play in the evening in our community football field, but recently parents have stopped their wards from playing in the same field because a child was hit by a motorbike, resulting in the child's death. This article explores the associated dangers that mitigate against children’ s play and games in Ghana, particularly within the Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale in the Northern Region, guided by the following research question:
1. What dangers mitigate against children’ s play in the Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale in the Northern Region?
2. Theoretical Framework
This study is grounded in two complementary theoretical perspectives: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) and the New Sociology of Childhood (James & Prout, 1997). Together, these frameworks provide a comprehensive lens for understanding how environmental, social, and cultural factors shape children’s play experiences, while also recognizing children’s agency in navigating these contexts.
Bronfenbrenner’ s Ecological Systems Theory situates child development within a set of nested environmental systems: the microsystem (family, peers, school), mesosystem (interactions between microsystems), exosystem (external environments that indirectly affect the child), and macrosystem (broader socio-cultural values and laws). This framework is particularly useful for analyzing how factors such as parental attitudes, community infrastructure, urban planning, and national policies collectively influence opportunities for and constraints against children’ s play in the Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale in the Northern Region.
In addition, the New Sociology of Childhood offers a valuable perspective by positioning children as active social agents rather than passive recipients of adult decisions. This theory asserts that children are capable of constructing their own social worlds and responding creatively to the opportunities and constraints within their environments (James & Prout, 1997). Within the context of this study, it highlights how children in the Sagnarigu-municipality adapt their play behaviors in response to dangers such as lack of recreational spaces, environmental hazards, and digital distractions, for example, by creating informal play spaces or negotiating access to communal areas.
By integrating these two theories, this study acknowledges both the structural constraints on children’s play and the agency children exercise within those constraints. This dual-theoretical approach enables a nuanced understanding of how environmental dangers mitigate against play and how children and communities respond to these challenges.
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Design
Research design is the arrangement of conditions for the collection and analysis of data. According to Khanday et al. (2019), research design is defined as a framework of methods and techniques chosen by are researcher to combine various components of research in a reasonably logical manner so that the research problem is efficiently handled.
A qualitative, exploratory research design was adopted to gather in-depth insights into the dangers mitigating against children’ s play. Qualitative research is a type of research that explores and provides deeper insights into real-world problems (Moser & Korstjens, 2017). A qualitative approach allows participants to explain how, why, or what they were thinking, feeling, and experiencing at a particular time or during an event of interest.
3.2 Study Area
The study was conducted in Ghana, specifically in the Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana. Tamale is centrally located within the Northern Region and is bordered by: Savelugu Municipal to the north, Mion District to the east, Tolon District to the west, and Nanton District to the northeast. Also, it shares boundaries with: the North East Region to the North, the Savannah Region to the West and Southwest, the Oti Region to the South, and the Upper East Region to the Northeast.
3.3 Population and Sampling
Population refers to the entire group of individuals or items that researchers are interested in studying and drawing conclusions about (Creswell, 2014). McRoberts et al. (2016), target population is the group of individuals that the intervention intends to conduct research and draw conclusions from. The study population included fifteen (15) schools, forty-eight (48), elite caregivers, community leaders, and education officers in the Sagnarigu-municipality. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 20 participants (10 parents, 7 education officers, and 3 community leaders). The study reached saturation with a sample size of 8 participants.
3.4 Data Collection Instrument
Research instruments are tools used to gather and analyze research data. According to Goyal (2022), they are tools for collecting and measuring information about variables of interest systematically that enable one to answer stated research questions, test ideas, and evaluate results.
The study data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide, developed based on dangers identified in preliminary literature. Goyal (2022), an unstructured interview guide leads to an indepth discussion that allows the researcher to gather more information on purpose. Questions focused on perceptions of recreational spaces, security issues, urbanization effects, digital distractions, cultural beliefs, and environmental hazards.
3.5 Data Collection Procedure
According to Kabi (2016), the data collection procedure is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.
A consent letter was taken from the University of Education, Winneba (Head of Department, Early Childhood Education) to the agencies where the study will collect data. The study also preinformed participants about when the researcher would be coming for data collection to enable participants' presence and prepare them for the interview session. Interviews were conducted via phone, recorded with consent, and transcribed for analysis. The interview per participant lasted for 10 minutes.
3.6 Data Analysis
According to Biggam (2011; p. 236), analyzing qualitative data is “not a linear activity and requires an iterative approach to capturing and understanding themes and patterns respectively”. Also, Robson (2011; pp. 468) identified that analyzing qualitative data requires “clear thinking on the part of the analyst” to make a meaningful and useful presentation of the data generated. Participants were also assured of maximum confidentiality and protection from physical and mental discomfort, assurance of anonymity, and what should be disclosed from the collected data.
Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurrent themes and patterns in participant responses. Coding was guided by pre-identified dangers, with allowances for emerging themes.
3.7 Ethical Considerations
Ethical approval was obtained from the participating parents, community elders, and educational officers in the Sagnarigu-municipality. Informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation were assured. The purpose of the study was also explained to the participants. However, the study took into consideration the participants' informed consent, individuals’ freedom to decline participation, assurance of maximum confidentiality and protection from physical and mental discomfort, assurance of anonymity, and what should be disclosed from the collected data.
4. Results and Discussion
The discussions below are based on the themes and patterns in participant responses.
4.1 Lack of Well-Structured Recreational Facilities
Participants unanimously highlighted the absence of safe, well-equipped play spaces. Children often play on the streets, exposing themselves to accidents and environmental hazards. Some voices were: I think the absence of structured recreational facilities undermines children's ability to engage in safe, healthy, and enriching play. It limits their socialization, physical activity (P1).
Psychologically, the lack of proper play spaces can cause frustration and hinder emotional and cognitive development. This can lead to behavioral problems (C3).
This aligns with Raney et al. (2019) and Tillmann et al. (2018), who emphasized the importance of structured play areas for child development, and also, Liu et al. (2014), the absence of natural elements in play areas deprives children of opportunities for imaginative play and a connection to nature.
4.2 Security Concerns
Concerns about child abduction, abuse, and traffic accidents were prevalent. Parents restrict outdoor play, limiting physical activity and social interaction. Some responses were: For me, I think the increasing reports of child abduction and abuse have made me more cautious about allowing my children to play freely in unsupervised areas (C4).
The presence of uncompleted buildings and isolated play spots has heightened my fears about my children’s safety (P1).
To confirm with the above findings, Amoah (2020), found that security-related fears were a significant factor influencing whether children were allowed to participate in outdoor play in urban Ghana. Also, this aligns with international findings that limited access to safe play spaces can impede child development outcomes (Dadvand et al., 2014).
4.3 Urbanization and Contemporary Culture
Participants noted that urban expansion replaces open spaces with residential and commercial developments, leaving children with fewer play options. Participants' responses: Modernization brings a lot of increase in technology use, which often leads to children spending more time on screens than engaging in outdoor play (E2).
To me, I believe that a lack of natural spaces in urban areas can lead to "nature-deficit disorder," where children miss out on the developmental benefits of interacting with nature (C1).
This supports UNICEF's (2021) findings on urbanization’s impact on child-friendly spaces. Again, this is affirmed by Gill (2014), helicopter parenting" has reduced children’s outdoor play opportunities due to increased concerns for safety.
4.4 Media Distractions
Most parents observed that children increasingly prefer video games and smartphone use over physical play. Some assertions were : In Tamale, nowadays, it is common to see children huddled around small phone screens playing digital games, rather than engaging in traditional outdoor activities (P1).
Instead of engaging with the physical world, children now spend a lot of time consuming media, playing games, watching videos, stunting their creativity and problem-solving abilities (P4).
Feng et al (2017), postulated that excessive screen time often leads to children spending less time outdoors, depriving them of the opportunity to connect with nature. Macdonald et al. (2021) indicated that excessive screen time can lead to isolation, difficulty with communication, and challenges in building meaningful relationships.
4.5 Cultural Misconceptions and Gender Bias
Some participants reported cultural beliefs that discourage girls from participating in certain games. Additionally, academic pressures often reduce playtime. Some participants' views were: In this community, it is believed that certain games are unsuitable for our girls, limiting their participation in recreational activities (C2).
When I was a child, I experienced gender stereotyping as I was expected to behave in a certain way during my playtimes (E1).
This echoes findings by Alanazi et al. (2020) and the Fawcett Society (2020) on gender stereotyping in childhood play.
5. Conclusion
This study highlights how multiple interrelated dangers, lack of recreational spaces, security fears, urbanization, digital distractions, cultural biases, and environmental hazards, mitigate against children’s play in the Sagnarigu-Municipality, Tamale in the Northern Region. These findings affirm the necessity of creating child-friendly urban environments, promoting inclusive play opportunities, and addressing social and infrastructural inequalities. Playable space should be accessible, spacious, safe from physical and social hazards, allow healthy movement behaviors, provide opportunities for physical challenge, social interaction, and exposure to nature (Spiegal et al., 2014; Voce, 2018).
As the Dagombas say, “N nye yuli ka bap kpema”. “A child who does not play will not grow well.” This timeless wisdom reminds us of the role of play in shaping well-rounded, healthy, and socially responsible individuals for the future.
6. Recommendations
- The Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, should incorporate child-friendly recreational spaces into urban planning.
- The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Government, should implement strict environmental health standards in play areas.
- The Ghana Education Service, in collaboration with Sagnarigu-Municipal teachers, should conduct public awareness campaigns on the benefits of play.
- The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Sagnarigu-Municipal Education Service, should address cultural misconceptions limiting inclusive play.
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- Ibrahim Abdul-Soaboor (Author), 2025, Mitigating Dnagers Against Child's Play and Game in Ghana, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1602183
