A poll of 1,000 children aged six to 16 has revealed their top ideas for making the world a better place, with banning homework, helping those in need, and taking better care of the planet leading the list.
Children's Priorities for a Better World
The survey found that 42% would introduce longer playtimes, 43% would build more parks and playgrounds, and 37% would give everyone more rest time. More than eight in 10 (83%) think more time for drawing, making, and inventing things would make people happier.
Another 83% said if they were in charge, they would make it their mission to help others more. Over nine in 10 (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% would sit with people who are lonely.
How Children Would Respond to Bullying and Sadness
If they saw someone being picked on, 46% would tell an adult, 37% would help or stand by them, and 10% would ask someone else to help. When asked the kindest thing to do when someone feels sad or lonely, 31% said talk to them, 28% would make them laugh, and 19% would ask them to join in.
Only 14% thought grown-ups always listen to children's good ideas, while 75% said adults listened sometimes, and 8% said adults never listened at all.
What Makes Children Happy and Who Can Improve the World
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 great, with 49% saying laughter would do so.
When it comes to who can make the world better, 43% said children were best for the job, but the most popular answer (70%) was 'everyone working together'. 'People who make the rules' only came in at 34%.
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. What's so heart-warming from this research is just how instinctively children want to look after each other – whether that's helping someone in need, making sure nobody feels left out, or simply putting more time aside for play and creativity. It really shows that, at their core, children aren't thinking about big, complicated fixes – they just want a kinder, happier world where everyone feels included."
Parents' Views on Children's Outlook
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 positive things they'd do, and 78% reckoned their improvements would be better and more imaginative than those of adults.
Mostly, parents said their kids just want to make everyone happier (44%). Nearly nine in 10 (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 young one's happiness were less academic pressure (39%), more outdoor time, and more opportunities to get creative.
The spokesperson 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."
Top 10 Things Kids Would Do to Make the World a Better Place
- Help people in need more
- No homework
- Take care of the planet
- Build more parks and playgrounds
- Longer playtimes
- More time to rest
- Have animals visit school
- More time to play sport
- Sit with people who are lonely
- (Jointly) Include everyone in games / have days just to do arts and crafts
