A poll of 1,000 children aged six to 16 found that 42% would introduce longer playtimes, 43% would build more parks and playgrounds, and 37% would give people more time to rest to make everyone happier.
More than eight in 10 (83%) think more time for drawing, making and inventing things would make people happier, and the same proportion (83%) would help others more if they were in charge. A further 92% feel it's important to make sure nobody feels left out or alone, with 31% saying they would include everyone in games and 34% saying they would sit with people who are lonely.
Children's Top 10 Ideas
The top 10 things children would do to make the world a better place include helping people in need more, banning homework, taking care of the planet, building more parks and playgrounds, longer playtimes, more time to rest, having animals visit school, more time to play sport, sitting with people who are lonely, and jointly including everyone in games or having days just to do arts and crafts.
A spokesperson for Maped Helix UK, which commissioned the research, said: "Kids have the most fascinating imaginations, filled with care and compassion, but also plenty of honesty."
Children's Views on Bullying and Loneliness
If children saw someone being picked on, 46% said they would tell a teacher or grown-up, 37% would help them or stand by them, and 10% would ask someone else to help. For someone feeling sad or lonely, 31% would talk to them, 28% would make them laugh, and 19% would ask them to join in.
Only 14% of children thought grown-ups always listen to their good ideas, while 75% admitted adults sometimes listened, and 8% said adults never listened at all.
What Makes Children Happy
Playing with friends (66%), doing something fun with family (61%), and getting a treat or something special (55%) were the top three things to make their day really great. Nearly half (49%) said laughter would make their day.
When asked who can make the world better, 43% said children were best for the job, but the most popular answer (70%) was 'everyone working together'. Only 34% chose 'people who make the rules'.
Parents' Perspective
Of the 1,000 parents also polled, 85% said their child's outlook on the world was positive. While 88% agreed kids today care about improving the world, 42% said their child often talks about the positive things they'd do, and 78% reckon their improvements would be better and more imaginative than those of adults. Mostly, they said kids just want to make everyone happier (44%).
Nearly nine in 10 parents (88%) said their child is creative, and 94% said free time is important for their happiness. The top three things they felt would make the biggest difference to their child's happiness were less academic pressure (39%), more outdoor time, and more opportunities to get creative.
The spokesperson for Maped Helix added: "The findings highlight just how positive and thoughtful children are about the future. It's a powerful reminder that when children are given the space to share their ideas and get hands on, their creative minds and outlook is not only optimistic, but genuinely inspiring."
