WildStrong

Building strength and friendships under an open sky.
💫 Community
💫 Outdoors
💫 Strength, skills, mobility
💫 Expanding capabilities

[Eugene Minogue @EugeneMinogue]

🎙️ I recently joined the Playful Nature Podcast by @WeAreWildstrong to talk about something I’ve spent my career advocating for: children’s right to play - and why we need to rethink how we design, govern, and share our public spaces.

At the heart of the conversation? A simple but powerful question:

Why have we normalised 'No Ball Games' signs?

What does it say about our priorities when children are actively discouraged - even excluded - from playing in the spaces meant to serve everyone?

In the episode, we dig into:
👉 Why play isn’t a 'nice to have' - it’s a fundamental right essential to children’s development
👉 The vital role of risk in childhood - and why protecting children doesn’t mean limiting their freedom
👉 How planning, design, and policy too often side-line children - and what we can and must do to change that

📝 Key Takeaways:
Play as a Right: Children have an inherent right to play, which is essential for their holistic development.​
Risk and Resilience: Engaging in play that involves manageable risks helps children develop coping mechanisms and confidence.​
Urban Planning Challenges: Modern cities often lack adequate play spaces, necessitating a re-evaluation of urban design to accommodate children's needs.​
Community Involvement: Creating child-friendly environments requires collaboration among urban planners, policymakers, and communities.

🎧 If this resonates with you, I’d love you to listen:
https://t.co/pq9llkMlHE

💬 Share Your Thoughts:
What does play look like in your community?
Are there sufficient spaces for children to engage in free play?
Are we doing enough to support children’s freedom to explore, play, move, and take risks?

Let’s keep the conversation going. It's time to give children their childhood back!

#RightToPlay #PlaySufficiency #Playwork #PlayMatters #ChildFriendlyCities #UrbanPlanning #ChildhoodMatters

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

@outdoorteacher We have a copy and it is excellent!

[Play Scotland @PlayScotland]

Have you booked your place on our Play Types Training?

Tue 25 Feb 7:30-9PM

❓ What are the play types
🏆 Why are they important
🕵️‍♀️ How to recognise the play types
🎉 Using the play types in your practice

https://t.co/nL17LNqz0Z

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

@BillingMartin This is really interesting. Can you expand on this? Thinking of any appropriate examples or cases? Thanks.

[Eugene Minogue @EugeneMinogue]

‘Why this Parliament can only be as strong as our playgrounds’ - @TomHayesBmouth in @LabourList

https://t.co/1hl0GSFxIM

‘We need to be on the side of playing children as well as working adults’

“And this is unfinished business for @UKLabour. Years ago, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham’s strategy tried to make sure every child had a decent place to play and committed £235m to do the job. The Coalition Government drew a red line through the money, abandoned the strategy, and ripped away the essential things that children need. 

My call to the government is straightforward: we need to be on the side of playing children as well as working adults.

Play experts [@PlayEngland] say the last play strategy can be dusted off, updated for today’s realities, and allowed to spend the money already in the system much better.

This doesn’t even mean significant additional funding; really, we just need to embed ‘play sufficiency’ in law, like Wales and Scotland, so local authorities have a duty to protect playgrounds on a par with sports fields or libraries.”

We thank Tom 👏 for continuing to amplifying @PlayEngland’s critical call for:
•Play Sufficiency Legislation
•A new National Play Strategy

https://t.co/IsnNYcnAyD

Together, we can create a nation where play is not just valued—but protected, supported, and meaningfully implemented.

🏫🚸���🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️

#PlaySufficiency #NationalPlayStrategy #ChildrensWellbeing #RightToPlay #Playgrounds #AdventurePlaygrounds #FreePlay #Playwork #Parks #NPPF #PlanningForPlay #UNCRC #Article31 #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #PlayStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #FreeRangeNeighbourhoods #FUN

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

Greatly enjoyed this conversation with @Cj_Leese on The Movement Prescription Podcast.

https://t.co/5gQPwyIaIz

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

@interintellect_ @readmaxread @NotoriousTIB @lionel_trolling Will definitely listen to this one. Good share.

[Jackson Fyfe, PhD @jacksonfyfe]

Check out the full text (open access) here:

Soendenbroe C, Boraxbekk CJ, Mackey AL. Enhancing muscle and brain resilience: The role of prehabilitative exercise in mitigating disuse effects. J Physiol. 2025 Jan 6.

https://t.co/oFOX0jd4EW

[Dr Ai Lyn Tan @DrAiLynTan]

Being physically active benefits health of those with #osteoporosis

▶️Impact exercise is safe, higher impact better for bones
▶️#Muscle strengthening #exercise stimulates #bone regrowth
▶️Improved balance thus reducing falls & injury

👉🏽https://t.co/sXxdYDspva
via @BJSM_BMJ

[Jeremy Frisch @JeremyFrisch]

The amount of mini-adult training programs on social media is astounding...
Just an FYI: Kids have little desire to do:
planks
split squats
weighted carries
They literally have the rest of their lives to exercise. The pre-adolescent years should be dedicated to developing agility, balance, coordination, and body awareness in a dynamic and engaging environment.
It's important that children have positive movement experiences early in life so that have a desire to continue to move as they get older.
#LTAD

[shecanTRACE @SheCanTrace]

Women’s International Parkour Weekend 2025 is coming!

What kinds of “impossible” things could you be achieving for yourself this year?

👉🏻 Join us for the Women’s International Parkour Weekend this May 10-11 to find out.

➡️ Sign up now at https://t.co/xRiRPN2sJr

#shecantrace

[playtheirway @playtheirway]

Join us tonight for the first of a two-part special coach catch-up all about PLAY 🤸

This first part will be hosted by @_UKCoaching's @Martin_Dighton tonight from 7-8pm.

Join here: https://t.co/DZZGS3Wpm6
Register for all catch-ups: https://t.co/ZCEN31AdEH

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

Listen to "Episode 6: Dr Callum Leese Thinking about Health at a Community Level" by Playful Nature Podcast by WildStrong. https://t.co/vR1Gpgr3Wm

[Transition Network @transitiontowns]

Calling all emerging female leaders!

Unlock your leadership potential with this FREE course from the @AnnaLindh & Well-being LAB! Transform obstacles into opportunities, lead with purpose and gain key skills.

Apply by Dec 10th!
👉 https://t.co/KEDgFxEodc

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

@STRONGERwithAGE @MoveTrainRegen @ScotPARC @UoE_PAHRC @MovementfHealth @P_H_S_Official I really like the above framework. Especially the focus on peers, real images and inclusive messaging. Progressive overload is a big umbrella. Multiple progression schemes and metrics can fit within this.

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

This was a fun session! You can't see it from this angle but Arthur's Seat was right behind us. The weather held up so we were able to run 2x parallel sessions outside.

[Richard Whall @MoveTrainRegen]

Do I spy my friends from @wearewildstrong ???

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

@GregLehman @DrJesseMorse @generalorthomd Nice one. 🔥

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

Enjoyed this piece from @YujiSuzukiDC on apply ecological dynamic to MSK issues. Thought it was an interesting angle.

[Yuji Suzuki @YujiSuzukiDC]

Sorry it took me so long to get part 2 out.

I was really happy with the private convos that emerged after part 1. Thanks to all that reached out with a feedback/criticisms 🙏🏼 Hoping part 2 opens up more discussions! Check it out ⬇️

[WildStrong @wearewildstrong]

Ramifications of using LLMs to write papers is going to be huge. The danger of plausible-sounding but completely fabricated output worming its way into our corpus is a big deal. What happens when real researchers start citing accepted, but false papers?
Ouroboros.

[Brad Schoenfeld, PhD @BradSchoenfeld]

As an editor for a journal, I was assigned a paper where more than half the references were completely invented, including several listing me as an co-author! Never seen anything like this. Sorry state of research in our field🙁

[Sport England @Sport_England]

The design and layout of our built environment can encourage sport and physical activity.

Find out how Active Design can encourage healthier, stronger and more active communities ⬇️