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Reflecting back on risky play
When we look at the origins of risky play and its benefits for the developing child, I look no further than my back yard growing up, and I didn’t call it risky either. I grew up on the east coast of Canada in rural Nova Scotia, where I was surrounded by forests and coastlines, and lots of opportunities to explore. As a child born in the 80’s, I had a significantly larger unsupervised roaming range and length of rope than most children have available these days. I was fortunate to have these natural affordances so close to home, and I respect that this is not always the case for today’s children.
So, what has changed? Why has something once classified as regular old play now come with a warning label and caution signs? Why can’t we climb up the slide at the playground? Why can’t we swing that stick or throw that rock? Why can you not use those scissors? Our risk assessment mechanisms as humans have shifted seemingly over the course of one generation, and now society views a lot of traditional play opportunities as risky and wrapped in yellow caution tape.
What is risky play?
So, what is risky play anyway? I would define it as a play opportunity or invitation that pushes the child, a provocation that puts a positive stress on them, puts them outside their comfort zone and into a problem-solving realm.
It is play that allows a child to push the boundaries of the rules and expectations bestowed upon them by educators and care givers, while remaining in a controlled and supportive environment. It gives them the chance to grab the wheel and drive, but we can still tap the brakes. This is play that provides children the pathway to explore new and seemingly dangerous things, all while being supported appropriately and strategically by educators and care givers. Risky Play uses items that are not conventional in mainstream play experiences, we use loose parts to help amplify creativity and resourcefulness. We allow children to use tools and materials usually reserved for grown-ups, but we do so in controlled and safe spaces, providing an opportunity to build trust and independent confidence.
Where is risky play today?
Nowadays everything comes with restrictions, rigid rules and lengthy policies, and too many people telling us no. I’ve ventured on to more playgrounds and parks than I can count that have lists posted of what you can’t do while on site, I’m still waiting to see a list of things you can do…
Society today, at least from a generalized Western perspective, has become guarded and hypersensitive to our world around us and are effectively bubble-wrapping our children. We are preventing them from having exploratory experiences that push their limits and peak their engagement. Engagement is something foundational in a child’s development and when utilized effectively it is a direct pathway to learning and growth. Administrators and policy makers have become too scared and blinded by the overtly slim chance of a child getting hurt and them being sued. These limitations and skewed viewpoints come at the expense of developing children, I’m not saying revert back to the 80-90’s playground rules mentality, but let kids be kids sometimes and take some less travelled paths.
Children need to make mistakes and fail, children need to experience the speed wobbles on their bike and either save it or bail and skin their knee on the fall. I remember a lot more of my classmates in casts and bandages as a child compared to what we see today. Mind you we had ads on TV in the evening for parents during the 80’s and 90’s asking if they knew where their kids were, Boomer and Gen X parents tended to be more free range…Now we can track our kids with their devices and know where they are at all times, and everything is recorded so there’s nowhere to hide. It’s not to say we need to push children to go out and hurt themselves and intentionally put in harm’s way, but we’ve essentially dialled back the access to these activities through preventative measures, thereby eliminating the potential for a growth opportunity. Children want to go fast and climb high, but they also fear what those limits bring to them, and that is a Goldilocks zone for positive developmental gains.
Changing perspectives on risky play
Educator and parent perspectives alike have changed and I’m quick to point the finger at the advancements in technology, instant access to information and increased levels of screen time as the primary drivers in this decline in play. It’s not the sole reason for this foundational shift but we can see an identifiable trend with the expansion of social media and access to information. Past generations did not have instant global information and current events at their fingertips like we do today, you waited for the newspaper in the morning or watched the evening news on TV, and even that was considered pretty quick back then. As the media expanded our access to information became seamless, our fears and anxiety levels began to rise because now we are interpreting one off and low percentage events as more common place, distorting our risk assessment abilities.
We apply our risk assessment inconsistently as well, people tend to be more scared to fly in a plane than drive in a car. Global percentages would show many more fatalities and injuries from cars. We only fear planes more because if a plane crashes it makes global news, a tragedy and rightfully so, but the collective impact of automobile incidents far outweighs those in the aviation industry, but that’s not what we hear from the news.
Considering risky play through different cultures
Risky Play comes with an interesting cultural lens, mainly because there are a lot of areas of this world where play still looks like it did when I was a child. Different cultures and family environments have a significant influence over a child’s overall development and show us some of the truly capable and competent behaviors that children present. My time throughout Asia showed me how independent children can be at such young ages, it’s not to say Canadian children couldn’t match that level of trust and independence, they were just exposed to a different environment and societal expectations. What some people view as dangerous or risky might be seen as common place to another group, so we need to be mindful of these varying perspectives. As a child I spent my summers swimming in the ocean, sharks spend their summers there too, including those Great White scary ones. No one has ever been attacked by a shark where I grew up, we know they are there and that they are not interested in us because we were taught this. But the tourist who heard about a recent shark attack in Australia knows the oceans are connected and sharks are dangerous, so they won’t go swimming.
People are entitled to their own worries and fears, but ones formed out of misinformation or ignorance are the reasons we are seeing a variety of stressors and anxieties trending upwards. One or two glorified events does not equate to a major overhaul of the system. We fear our children will be kidnapped and taken from us if they go to the park alone for 5 minutes before we get there, when the odds of such an event are incredibly small. Yes, it does happen and I’m not taking anything away from those traumatic events, but they represent extremes and do not reflect our day-to-day life.
Final thoughts on risky play
I like to think I’m quite open with allowing my own children to have the same experiences and opportunities I had, but I’m aware that circumstances and environments change. My roaming range at 10 years old compared to my 10-year-old is drastically different, with his being much more restricted. Some of his diminished range is give and take between my loving wife and I, and some is my own shifting educational and parenting perspectives as I continue to grow and navigate this changing world. We are only scratching the skin of the true potential of risky play, we need more opportunities to support educators and care givers on the ground, and more advocacy to the policy makers and curriculum designers on its positive impacts on the child.
Key takeaways
- Risky play supports development
Risky play encourages children to step outside their comfort zone, build resilience, develop problem-solving skills, and gain independence. - Societal views on play have shifted
Over the past generation, perceptions of risk in play have become more cautious, often limiting opportunities for exploration due to fear of harm or liability. - Risk assessment is culturally and socially influenced
What is considered risky varies widely across cultures and communities, shaped by local values, environments, and access to information. - The role of adults is crucial
Educators and families can provide controlled, supportive environments that allow children to engage in risk while ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
Critical considerations
- How do your personal experiences shape your views on risky play?
Reflect on how your own childhood influences the way you support or restrict risky play for children today. - What factors contribute to your risk assessment decisions in practice?
Consider how media, policy, or institutional rules might influence your ability to offer risky play opportunities. - How can we create space for risky play in increasingly risk-averse settings?
What changes might be needed in environments, policies or adult attitudes to make room for more meaningful, challenging play? - Are your views on risky play inclusive of different cultural perspectives?
How might your understanding of risk change when viewed through a global or cross-cultural lens?
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