Risky-Play at School. Facilitating Risk Perception and Competence in Young Children.
Risky play is necessary for children to develop risk-taking skills and learn how to cope with risky situations. In this way, children obtain risk competence. Age adequate risk deprivation can hinder normal child development and is linked to an increase in anxieties and disconnection to environment. Risky play can be put into six categories: play at great heights, play with high speed, play with harmful tools, play near dangerous elements, rough-and-tumble play and play where children can ‘disappear’/get lost. This study demonstrated that risk perception and competence in young children can be improved with an intensive offer of risky play activities in their outdoor learning environments.
Subject Area: Risk