Risky play is a trend making its way across the country, but it sounds dangerous. Why would educators embrace this teaching practice with such enthusiasm? There are many reasons. Risky play is beneficial for the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of children and can contribute to their success in school and beyond.
Risky play is unstructured play opportunities which allow for children to take safe, appropriate risks to gain confidence and strength while acquiring the skills to regulate the big emotions that come with stepping out of their comfort zones. There are seven types of risky play: great heights, speed, tools, rough-and-tumble, disappearing, play with impact, and vicarious play. Most children are innately drawn to engage in all types of risky play; however, exploring heights is the most frequently observed form. Children who engage in risky play understand that challenges, or mistakes, are opportunities; understand that success depends on effort; adapt well in the face of adversity; and are aware of their personal abilities and limitations.
Providing an environment absent of hazards and yet rich with opportunities for children to engage in risky play allows for them to use large and small muscles required not only for healthy muscle development, but also for the physical development needed to for pre-reading skills. Additionally, risky play offers children space and time to grapple with social and emotional risks with peers to reduce their conflict sensitivity and increase their self-esteem. Risky play often incorporates the use of loose parts or materials without an intended purpose such as sticks, pipes, and tires. These materials lend themselves well to transform along with a child’s imagination and is, in essence, innovative play as they are used in new and creative ways.
Facilitating risky play with the children in your life is as easy as A, B, C.
A – Act like a sportscaster. Narrating what your child is doing supports them in developing a strong narrative of their actions. For example, “You are climbing up the tree with confidence. You are visually measuring your arm against the limb to see if it is long enough to reach across it. You are looking back down at the ground to see how far it is from you.”
B – Be aware of your own biases and fears. Often, we express our own biases and fears to our children to keep them safe. We might say, “Oh my goodness, put that stick down. I am afraid you will hit someone with it.” Although thoughtful and necessary at times, the message of these words is for children to rely on external sources for their safety rather than work on the skills needed for them to trust their own actions.
C – Conduct a risk analysis with your child. A risk analysis is a way to measure the risks and benefits of an activity. For example, if your child shows interest in puddle jumping in the rain. If there is a strong interest, they have already established the biggest benefit which is fun. You might point out that they might get wet and dirty, and perhaps remind them of a time they did not like feeling wet or dirty. If they still have an interest, you might express worry that there might be lightning or begin getting cold. This is a great opportunity to ask your child how they will keep themselves safe during the activity. If they have appropriate responses like that, they will look in the sky or do a body check to see how they feel, then they are ready for the activity.
Risky play is great tool for adults to use to support children in building trust in themselves, also called an internal locus of control. By allowing our children to have a solid foundation of their physical, emotional, and mental boundaries; we will be setting them up for success for years to come. To find out more about the Nest Nature School, visit www.cibolo.org.
Comment
Comments