A sunny day of old-fashioned outdoor fun kept child safety fears at bay.

Hundreds of youngsters descended upon the recreation fields in Green Lane, Baildon, to celebrate their right to play on National Playday.

Play England held events across the country to engage 100,000 children in outdoor games after a survey revealed just 21 per cent of children play out in the streets because of safety concerns.

ICM were commissioned by Play England to seek the opinions of 1,030 youngsters, aged between seven and 16, and 1,031 adults over the age of 18 for the survey.

While only a fifth of today's children play outside in the street or areas close to their homes every day, 71 per cent of adults said they had played outside when they were children.

Almost one in four children, and 35 per cent of adults, listed traffic as one of their top three barriers to street play.

Of those asked, 29 per cent of under-18s and 39 per cent of adults said extra play spaces would make children play on the streets and areas near their homes more often.

The theme for this year's Playday was Our Streets Too, to highlight that children have a right to play in their streets.

Bradford Council's community play and activities development unit organised the event in Baildon. Children had a go at traditional street games such as hopscotch, hula hoop and ball games, as well as donkey rides, skateboarding, dancing and creating pavement art and go-karts.

Carl Dalton, manager of the community play and activities development unit, said: "This event is all about giving kids the experience of play, trying out different activities and bringing children together to make friends and play with children from different backgrounds."

The Bradford Play Network, a voluntary organisation, works to promote recreation throughout the district, and put on activities at the event and gave out road safety advice packs.

Janet Jewitt, of the Play Network, said: "The way we used to play when we were young is a lost art because of the fears of both parents and children concerning stranger danger and increased traffic."

Mother of three Samantha Drake, 30, of Queensbury, Bradford, said: "You just don't know who's about these days.

"We live on a cul-de-sac and I never let my boys wander from the top of the road."

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Robin Owens, opened the event. He said: "I used to walk as far as 40 miles a day and my parents didn't have the foggiest, but you don't get that today."

Councillor John Cole said: "There is definitely a case for more park rangers so parents can take their children out to open spaces where they are supervised.

"Events like this allow social and emotional development and are better for children than sitting in their room playing computer games."

Adrian Voce, director of Play England, said: "The space to play and the freedom that children have to enjoy it has diminished to the point that many children are effectively raised in captivity.

"The street or area where they live is - or should be - an essential part of a child's home life, but the modern world is making streets into a no-go zone for children."