‘Cotton wool generation’ not spending time outside

More than half of youngsters aged seven to 12 spend less than an hour a day outside, while almost nine in 10 children have never taken part in traditional outdoor activities such as playing conkers or building a raft, according to research by the charity.

The National Trust said it had launched a campaign to “connect the cotton wool generation with nature” by getting 200,000 children playing outside this summer.

According to a poll of 1,000 parents and grandparents, 54 per cent of children spend less than an hour outside each day, while one in four seven to 12-year-olds are outdoors for less than 30 minutes a day. This compares to parents who spent an average of two hours and 34 minutes outside each day in their youth.