Helen Dodd

School uniforms 'no good for running around' says Exeter expert A professor says we cannot complain children are not active enough when they are dressed in uniform.

"Everyone still looks smart and cohesive, but it's much more comfortable and suitable for physical activity."

@profhelendodd.bsky.social talking to BBC Devon today about the benefits of always active uniforms.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#ActiveUniformAlliance #MadeToMove

106415 Play England - Strategy Document FINAL

Play England's new strategy recognises all the ways children play & that it's not them that need fixing but the systems round them. bit.ly/43AoFlFC
Congrats @eugeneminogue.bsky.social @profhelendodd.bsky.social @naomilott.bsky.social Paul Brindley @mic-martin.bsky.social @geekdadgamer.bsky.social

Check out the new paper by the brilliant @ladyzoia.bsky.social - first (I believe!) longitudinal paper looking at intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety across childhood 👇

‘We have a rule when we hear the sirens: if you’ve started operating, you don’t stop’: 24 hours with doctors on the Ukrainian frontline Like the soldiers they battle to save, combat medics in Ukraine are under constant attack. Three years after the invasion, one NHS doctor bears witness

On International Women's Day 2025, I want to pay tribute to the courage of Dr Viktoriia Kovach, Chief Medical Officer of Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade.

In January, I spent 24 hours with the combat medics she leads on the front line. Please read 🇺🇦

#IWD25

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Making outdoor learning and play inclusive of girls The outdoors is for everyone — explore four ways to ensure that outdoor learning and play is safe, inclusive, and accessible for girls.

From gender stereotypes to inadequate facilities, girls continue to face barriers to getting outdoors.

This #InternationalWomensDay, explore four ways to ensure that your outdoor learning and play practice is safe, inclusive, and accessible for all 👇
ltl.org.uk/news/making-...

Impressed!

Great to see The Times editorial this morning backing our call to tackle the barriers which are stopping many children from playing outside.

We all need to get behind the #FutureMindsCampaign to call for immediate and scalable steps to address children's mental health.
Find the report here
cypmhc.org.uk/publications...

Three must read papers for PhD students. #scisky #PhD #science #research #academicsky

1. The importance of stupidity in scientific research

Open Access
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

I couldn’t agree more!

Social media bans don't address youth mental health problems » Eiko Fried I co-wrote this piece with the fantastic Margarita Panayiotou, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester who’s work focuses on psychometrics, measurement, social media & adolescent mental health...

In light of Australia’s social media ban, here a brief reminder why bans do not address the core issues they are meant to solve, w @margaritap.bsky.social.

eiko-fried.com/social-media...

Wisdom from the 9 yr old…

‘What kids need isn’t complicated mummy. I think they it’s: Food, water, love, somewhere safe to live, chance to learn and time to play’

⭐️🥰

Atlas of Longitudinal Datasets Explore over 1,000 datasets from across the world Launching January 2025 Sign up for our exclusive launch webinar!

🗺️The Atlas of Longitudinal Datasets, our new @wellcometrust.bsky.social funded research platform designed to increase the discoverability of longitudinal data across the world, is almost ready to launch! Sign up to be invited to our launch webinar -> www.landscaping-longitudinal-research.com/webinar

How cuts to youth clubs affected teen crime and education | Institute for Fiscal Studies Teenagers affected by austerity-induced youth club closures performed 4% worse in exams at age 16 and became 14% more likely to commit crimes.

ICYMI: Great analyis - short-term cuts = long-term effects on education and crime (& tax take). Youth clubs via @theifs.bsky.social ifs.org.uk/articles/how...

Let’s End Toxic Productivity Toxic productivity is an unhealthy compulsion to be productive at all times, often at the expense of our mental and physical well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life. It’s a common senti...

#WorkLifeBalance: Let’s End #ToxicProductivity - Harvard Business Review

“Toxic productivity is an unhealthy compulsion to be productive at all times, often at the expense of our #mentalhealth and physical well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life.”

hbr.org/2024/11/lets...

We've created a starter pack to help you find people and organisations that are passionate about play! Let us know who we've missed 😊
go.bsky.app/PRQsKEy

Denver gave people experiencing homelessness $1,000 a month. A year later, nearly half of participants said they had housing. Participants in Denver's basic-income program reported having more-secure housing, though results were similar in the trial and control groups.

Denver gave people experiencing homelessness $1k/month. A year later, nearly half had housing.

They also had fewer ER visits, nights spent in a hospital, and jail stays.

The report estimates that this reduction in public service use SAVED the city $589k.
www.businessinsider.com/denver-basic...

This makes so much sense to me. If the education system doesn’t work for so many children maybe the system is the problem rather than the children 🤔

Well worth a read.

Watch & listen - Digital Youth Explore our video and podcast library What is genuine collaboration? What does good involvement look like?

Have you seen these short videos? Aimed at researchers who are keen to involve young people in their research as advisors/project partners, we coproduced this series of supportive HOW TO videos. digitalyouth.ac.uk/resources/wa... #copro #youthinvolvement

The strain on scientific publishing: we set out to characterise the remarkable growth of the scientific literature in the last few years, in spite of declining growth in total scientists. What is going on?

direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub

Homeless people to be given cash in first major UK trial to reduce poverty Led by King’s College London, study will recruit 360 people in England and Wales to explore benefits of scheme

When I speak with Government 'What Works Centres' grappling with big social challenges they sometimes say "I wish we could just try giving people in poverty some money: that might work best".

Well done @michael-sanders.bsky.social for getting this trial going.

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

"The first large-scale prevention demonstrator when it comes to health."

We all have a role to play and @gmmoving.bsky.social are ready to support #LiveWell across GM alongside @andyburnham.bsky.social.

Zotero is great and I think that anyone who needs to organise and cite more than a handful of references should be using it. Here's an intro to Zotero that I made for my undergrad students (but the info is relevant for anyone new to Zotero).

Full vid [13 mins]: youtu.be/SlUHjOqVCyU
Preview ⬇️

Could you add me please? 🙏

Playing and being well – A review of recent research into children’s play, social policy and practice, with a focus on Wales - Play Wales This literature review focuses on the importance of children’s play and wellbeing. It is a review of recent research into children’s play, social policy and practice, with a focus on Wales.

It's so good to see the full version of this substantial review of contemporary research into children's play published by Play Wales in both English and Welsh and wonderful to work with Ludicology on this too. Working on this is what kept me busy during much of 2023

"We will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X. We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere."

https://buff.ly/4hLmYHe

An illustration of a car-free street is lined with trees, vegetation, playgrounds, buildings, and people of all ages and abilities walking and cycling.

Our streets have an enormous impact on our lives: How are they designed and for whom? Cars or people?

Prioritizing people over cars increases the autonomy of children; improves sociability among citizens; and creates more gender, age, and ability-equitable places.

modacitylife.com/curbing-traffic