Risky play confidence builder for our kids

As a society we have continuously become more averse of children engaging in risky play. Risky play can be a scary concept for parents. They are, no doubt, anxious about their children hurting themselves. However, the benefits of children taking chances within their play far outweighs the potential of them getting hurt.

Risky play can involve heights (climbing play equipment and trees), fast-paced activities (riding bikes, running, sliding down things), hiding and getting lost (hide and seek), dangerous tools (hammers, scissors, sharp objects), rough and tumble play (play that has contact wrestling), and play near dangerous elements (water, concrete, heights, balancing on rocks).

Risky play has numerous benefits for children. When they are climbing, jumping and running, they are building essential gross motor and core muscle skills.

For young children to be successful in a classroom environment in which they need to sit still for long periods of time, they first need to build up their muscles to support their bodies to do this.

These types of play also support children to express their emotions, develop relationships with peers and reduce anxiety and boredom, resulting in enhanced mental health.

It builds their ability to concentrate and focus on what is important to them.

It’s no surprise that risky play is exciting for children. It enables them to challenge themselves, test their boundaries, overcome fears and explore their capabilities.

The more children engage in risky play, the more they see how their skills can improve, such as noticing they are running faster, climbing higher, jumping further or getting stronger. In turn, parents will see their confidence grow.

In fact, children who participate in risky play have a greater chance of reducing their risk of injury due to their balance and improved functioning abilities.

This results in children not only having fun and exploring new possibilities, but also how their body works in a relatively safe way.

The recommendation for time children spend outside playing is up to three hours a day.

Instead, many children are spending more time inside and on technology.

While juggling family commitments and children’s free play time can often be a challenge, we owe it to our children to get them outside.

So, embrace the power of play – let your children get their feet dirty and, above all, have fun.