Research by the Lincolnshire-based charity Children's Links has found that many young children do not know how to play games like hopscotch, skipping, quoits and jacks.
The charity is now training lunchtime supervisors to learn more than 80 traditional games and teach them to children during playtime. Children's Links has produced a pack of illustrated games resource cards to help deliver the initiative.
Children's Links originally piloted the Traditional Playground Games project in three primary schools in Lincolnshire. Children who took part in the pilot test were found to become good members of the school community.
Bullying was reduced and fewer accidents occurred in the playground.
Karen Wilkinson, direct services manager at Children's Links who has overseen the project, said, 'Children play computer games and traditional games have been lost from playgrounds. Since we started the project we have had very positive feedback.
'The children are more interested at playtime and supervisors feel more empowered as they have a good knowledge of different games. One headteacher told me the project had changed the whole ethos of the school.'
Children's Links will receive 40,000 from BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Gold Appeal to roll out the project to all of Lincolnshire's primary schools. For information see www.childrenslinks.org.uk.
* The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned a new project, Playground Fun, to encourage children to play outside. Its website has instructions for a range of traditional and modern games for seven- to nine-year-olds. Visit www.playgroundfun.org.uk.