THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SCOTTISH CHILDHOOD

7th March 2014

- Legoland, Harry Potter World and Safari named in the Seven Wonders of the World by children from Scotland aged 6 to 11.

- Whilst kids like the idea of these places, the most wondrous activities to do include traditional favourites such as bike riding and playing in the park.

- New films bring to life the world from a kid’s eyes as part of Persils Kids Today project

While adults might name the Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer and Machu Picchu as the Wonders of the World; new research* commissioned by Persil reveals exactly what makes the children of Scotland wide-eyed with amazement, as “LEGOLAND”, “Safari” and the “Harry Potter World” are named in the top Seven Wonders of the World by six to eleven year olds.

These Seven Wonders of Childhood – uncovered by Persil to inspire parents to see the world through the eyes of their children as part of their Kids Today project– were also made up of “The Pyramids” and the “London Eye”, with one of the Ancient Seven Wonders creeping in; “The Pyramids”. Interestingly, Scottish kids identified The Eiffel Tower and The Statue of Liberty in their results, which children from other areas did not.

The Seven Wonders of Childhood by Scottish kids:
LEGOLAND (80%)
Safari (79%)
Harry Potter World (68%)
Statue of Liberty (67%)
The Pyramids (66%)
The London Eye (63%)
The Eiffel Tower (63%)

Wondrous Activities
Despite a number of the Seven Wonders of Childhood being influenced by media and popular culture; the research also revealed that Scottish children in particular actually enjoy themselves the most when simply playing in the great outdoors and making the most of the wonders on their doorstep:
- 92% named riding their bikes and scooters as their favourite past time

- 90% relish outdoor water activities

- 90% just want to get grubby playing in the park

The study also delved into just how differently children think their lives are compared to adults. Proving that kids still look to the simpler things in life; playing with friends, being silly, sports like swimming and football and even school were all identified as popular activities. According to the six to eleven year old respondents, adults cannot do the things children can because they are “too old” and have “too much work to do” – whereas the children claimed that they were able to “act silly” and “use their imagination” to enjoy the world around them more than their parents.

To help parents understand just what life is like from a child’s point of view and experience the wonder that they do, Thrill Expert Professor Brendan Walker has bought to life activities children identified as their favourite and transformed them into awe-inspiring activities for adults:

The Kids Today Project
To understand just how children see the world, Persil has commissioned BAFTA award-winning Director Rupert Edwards to create six films that literally show the world from a child’s perspective; the Kids Today Project.

Persil Brand Manager Marloes Garben comments; “It’s hard to impress or amaze parents these days. They have lost much of the ‘wonder’ that makes their kids’ first time reactions so powerful. This is why we are asking parents to see the world through their children’s eyes and let their kids to go outside and explore everyday wonders which are on their doorstep. The Persil Kids Today Project shows that learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom and that life experiences; whether that’s getting mud stained at the playground or climbing the tallest tree are crucial to development.”

World leading Cognitive Neuropsychologist, Dr Ashok Jansari, who advised on the project says; “This project shows that childhood development is about moments spent with family and friends exploring the great outdoors.”

Jansari continues; “Experts now identify these moments as developing ‘executive functions’ – the skills which allow humans to communicate. Most commonly developed through play and social experiences, allowing children to develop these functions is of vital importance for a happy, well balanced child.”

Find out more about the Persil Kids Today Project by watching and sharing the films and signing up for the Wonder Pledge at www.persil.co.uk or join the conversation with #KidsToday.

There are six films to watch at Persils Kids Today project
Kids Today Project six films
· City Kids: Emphasising the challenges that our small and mighty children have to deal with as they take on the world

· Play Face: A fast-paced and fun-filled film in which we see exactly how children react to doing what they love most of all - getting stuck in

· Busy Kids: Showing how the frenetic pace of lessons before school to after school clubs, classes and homework creates over-scheduled children

· What’s it like to be a child? Children tell us how the world is for them right now - and especially about the importance of hands-on experience

· ‘Making of’: We meet Rob who created the Surf Excel EyeView camera. He explains the challenges involved in making the camera for children

· Learning is Messy: Dr Ashok Jansari briefly talks through the role of Executive Functions in child development