ABSTRACT
Within Western industrialized society, with its emphasis upon the nuclear family, the most important influence on children is undoubtedly the home environment, as determined by the life-style of the parents. The main influence is the home, and the modern play movement is clearly a result of parental reaction to the poor conditions for children. Public concern and pressure have over a long period resulted eventually in government intervention on behalf of children, in terms of compulsory education and physical provision for play. The allocation of space under present planning policies rarely caters to the real needs of children except when public opinion forces it. Bits of left-over space are often designated as play spaces after the housing layout has been planned. These play spaces inevitably prove to be inadequate as part of a total housing environment and often conflict with traffic or the privacy of other residents. The pre-industrial age provided an ideal physical framework within which play could occur.
