• Letting children do whatever they want
• Standing too far from a child when they are trying something new
• Not stepping in when a child is doing something that is clearly unsafe

Risk taking is beneficial to children and we only wish more parents and educators understood this. Allowing children to jump from heights, balance and hangup side down are all essential skills that aid their development. It helps children’s confidence, self-regulation, independence and so much more.

Risky play also helps children understand cause and effect, as well as spatial awareness. While children are engaging in risky play, they are constantly learning and developing many new and emerging skills.

How, then, can we facilitate risky play within the classroom?

Risky play can happen both indoors, as well as outdoors. Adults are often the ones that try to limit risks because of our fear of what can happen. Let’s be honest, how many times have we heard a colleague saying, “Don’t do that!” “That’s too high!” This is the stigma that we should strive to break free from. Our purpose is to use positive language that promotes and encourages calculated risky play. “Do you feel safe?” “How high do you want to go?” The scaffolded questions will give the child a chance to consider what will happen next and how their decisions will influence what they do.

Now, that we have managed to get our team of educators on board, how should we reassure the parents that are concerned about risky play?

Here are some of our techniques that we use to help parents understand the purpose behind this further.

• Define risky play for them
• Explain how children’s play requires some element of risk-taking
• Reassure parents that children are always supervised
• Explain the environment set up and the risks are age-appropriate and developmentally necessary
• Provide examples of other successful risky play opportunities that the children have been involved in

Risky play teaches children about their own limits and by carefully promoting risky play, we are offering children an environment where they have the freedom to explore, learn and play, as they develop into confident young learners.