The thrill of risky play
Kids need the chance to challenge themselves – safely
Fear, you would think, is a negative experience to be avoided whenever possible. Yet, as everyone who has a child or was one knows, children love to play in risky ways — ways that combine the joy of freedom with just the right measure of fear to produce the exhilarating blend known as “thrill.”
Risky play has been defined as a thrilling and exciting form of play involving uncertainty and the chance of physical injury. Researchers talk about six categories of risky play including speed, great heights, dangerous tools, dangerous elements, rough and tumble, and disappearing or getting lost.
Let’s be clear, though, about what risky play is not. Risky play is not neglect, recklessness or pushing children beyond their abilities or interests. It is about giving kids space to build confidence and explore on their own terms. Risky play can have many different shapes, but always involves the thrill and excitement of testing yourself and finding out what happens. The paradox with this is that in order to keep our children safe, we need to let them take risks. Children need “As safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.”
Outdoor play and risky play go hand in hand. When children are outside, they have more space, room for independence, socializing and sense of mastery. When children are outside, they move more, sit less and play longer.
The new Holy Spirit Early Learning Centre in Lethbridge has an outdoor space that provides opportunity for outdoor exploration using natural materials such as logs, tree stumps, rocks, water and found materials like old tires and PVC pipe. There is a small creek bed where water can be pumped through, making crossing somewhat risky with rocks of varying sizes that may be slippery when wet. Children navigating themselves across the creek bed allows for planning and discovery (and sometimes wet clothes!). Pieces of lumber and wood of various sizes allow for building — perhaps a bridge across the water or a ramp on which to roll rocks down. This allows for testing of their designs and making necessary modifications.
There are two types of risk when playing with materials like these — the natural risk of dropping a heavy object or falling off a homemade bridge as well as the risk of a design not working as imagined. Children need both types of risk in order to build confidence, resiliency and persistence. For more information about the Early Learning Centre, please call 403-381-8495. Watch for information about community drop in play times coming soon.
Lethbridge Early Years Coalition is hosting a free community presentation called “5W’s and 1H of Risky Play” with presenter Bora Kim, faculty member from Lethbridge College, on Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. The presentation will be held at Lethbridge Public Library Main Branch in the Theatre Gallery. Free registration is available at