Risky Play

‍By risky play, we don’t mean engaging in dangerous and reckless behavior or pushing children beyond their abilities or playing in hazardous areas. Risky play involves kids experimenting and pushing themselves to figure out what will happen, without knowing the exact outcome. Research has shown that risky play has immense benefits in a child’s development, helping them develop  self-confidence, resilience, executive functioning abilities, problem-solving skills and even risk-management skills.  If kids don’t go far enough with their play, it’s boring and if they go too far, it gets too scary. It is important to balance the benefits of risky play with the potential risks, and to ensure that children are adequately supervised and protected from serious injury. Determining if the environment is challenging but not hazardous for children, is an important distinction to make. 

Research shows that engaging in risky play can actually reduce the risk of injury. Risky play allows children to learn their own limits and find out what they feel comfortable with. This awareness helps reduce the risk of injury as children learn to identify the point when they might need to stop to reassess the situation. Allowing children to gain experience with risky play, helps them identify when certain situations may be unsafe, and brainstorm how to make something safer. Rather than just deciding something isn’t safe, we need to look at the benefits for children’s learning and development and  guide them through the thought process of determining how safe an activity is. 

There's a fine line between safe and overprotective but don't let your own fear get in the way. Adult's and caregiver's own fears get in the way of children's ability to engage in risky play. Experts recommend following the "17 second" rule. If you are starting to feel uneasy about how your child is playing, step back and observe what they are doing for 17 seconds before intervening. Oftentimes with a little bit of space, children are able to figure out how to safely navigate risky play and they might even surprise you with what they are able to do independently. However, risk is subjective – a risky play situation for one child may be different from that of another, so having a sound knowledge of individual children’s capabilities is essential for providing support and encouragement that allows them to take appropriate risks.

Remember to give your child space to learn and explore. It is important to make sure that your child knows that you are there to support them and that you trust them to explore the world on their own. Provide them with the space and freedom to use their imaginations, push their bodies and grow their abilities. Typical playground structures provide opportunities for more structured play, however, natural landscapes also provide your child with opportunities for engaging in physically and cognitively appropriate risky play. Playing with mud, rocks, sticks, trees and water can open a world of possibilities for your child. 

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Instead of "Be Careful" try these phrases.

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‍Help your child build awareness by saying:

• ‍Notice how....these rocks are slippery, that log doesn't look sturdy, the tree branch is strong.
• ‍Do you see....your friend is nearby, there are thorns on the bush.
• ‍Try moving...your feet slowly, carefully.
• ‍Try using your....hand and eyes together, your feet and hands.
• ‍Do you feel....stable on that rock, the heat from the fire, safe doing that?
• ‍Are you feeling...scared,  tired, safe?

Help your child problem solve by saying:

• ‍What's your plan...if you climb that tree, if you stand on that boulder.
• ‍What can you use...to get across, to make sure you are safe?
• ‍How will you...get down, get across?
• ‍Who will...be with you, help you?

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Risky play is really just play and part of the natural progression in their learning as they try new things, challenge themselves and extend their skills by moving out of their comfort zone to push the limits of their current capabilities. Risky play also provides a context in which children are presented with real but managed risks that support the emergence of risk appraisal skills necessary for handling risks and dangers in other contexts. The decisions that children make and the responsibility that they take for their actions during risky play supports children in developing their autonomy, resilience and sense of agency and empowers them to take responsibility for their own safety.

Children need to take some risks. As parents, this makes us anxious; we want our children to be safe. But if we keep them in bubbles and never let them take any risks, they won’t know what they can do — and they may not have the confidence and bravery to face life’s inevitable risks. Yes, you can break an arm from climbing a tree — and yes, you can be humiliated when you try to make a friend and get rejected. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try; the lessons we learn from failure are just as important as those we learn from success. 

In short…riskier play actually allows for safer kids!

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