Risky Play....Why children love it and need it

20,30,40 years ago risky play was a natural way to play. Climbing trees, walking in streams, building dens, climbing the wrong way up the slide. How times have dramatically changed.

Risky play is part of a child’s natural development.

Even as babies, when they are learning to sit there is a risk of toppling over, learning to roll comes with risk of falling off, and learning to walk, a risk of falling down.

Parents understand that these risks must be taken, however tend to become more protective once these skills have been achieved.

Through play activities such as climbing, running and jumping, children naturally learn about risk assessment. Sheltering them from doing these things , or directing their every move, doesn’t help their development and allow them to learn how to assess risk for themselves. If a child never falls, it becomes hard for a child to assess situations where falling may be risky.

Through risky play, children learn about their own self limits. How high they could jump, how much they might fall. How fast they can run, but if they run too fast how they might fall.

Risky play allows children to become aware of their environment. Walking in the woods, exploring the beach, and navigating walls and streams.

It boosts cognitive skills. For example, balancing whilst walking on a log can actually increase cognitive skills. Having a working memory that is functioning at optimal capability means that it’s easier to follow directions.

Giving children the opportunity to try risky play allows them to test their own boundaries. They will have both success and failure. They will set their own goal of giving up or trying again.

Risky play helps build motor skills and spatial awareness. Letting them go the wrong way up a slide for example, teaches them to take it it turns, make way for other children. It can teach them about balance, test their limits, body awareness and make an on the spot decision to prevent a potential injury.

Whilst encouraging children to try something on their own, engaging in risky play can be another opportunity for learning. From road safety whilst riding their bikes, to building an obstacle course in the woods can teach them important life skills such as lifting, what materials to use and working as a team.