The Benefits of Risky Play: Letting Kids Take the Leap

Imagine watching your child climb a tree, legs swinging as they navigate a tricky branch, or dash down a hill, arms flailing with wild joy. While your heart may race, that thrill isn’t just a white-knuckle experience; it’s an essential part of growing up. In a recent article “The Role of Risky Play in Child Development,” by paediatricians Emilie Beaulieu and Suzanne Beno, featured in the Paediatrics & Child Health journal (Volume 29, Issue 4, July 2024), the notion of “risky play” is outlined as a vital ingredient in our children’s healthy development.

Why Risky Play Matters

According to the article, kids today spend less time swinging from trees and more time glued to screens. Beaulieu and Beno argue that risky play—whether it’s scaling a climbing wall or embarking on a hike with friends—sparks growth, builds character and fosters resilience. But we also know there’s a fine line between encouraging adventure and invoking parental panic.

Shifting Our Perspective on Risk

So, how do we encourage our kids to embrace risky play without breaking bones and causing us immense stress? Here are some fun and practical ways to help children learn to assess risks and engage with the world around them, inspired by the insights from Beaulieu and Beno.

1. Supervised Freedom

Imagine giving your child the freedom to explore a tree’s heights while you sip coffee from a distance. Allow them to stretch their limits while you watch the big picture. GNS encourages this through beach play, Nature School programming, Junior School Science inquiries, free time stations during Grade 6 to 10 Adventure Days, and planned free time on Outdoor Education expeditions.

2. Embrace Nature

Think about all those sticks, rocks and logs waiting for adventurous little hands. Providing access to natural materials encourages creativity and risky play. Even beyond little hands, our team at GNS notice that when we allow Middle and Senior School Students to play (but we don’t call it play!) at the Beach or in Uplands Park during a science or invasive species removal session, they engage in their surroundings creatively. 

3. Rough-and-Tumble Play

Let them wrestle, tumble and engage in friendly roughhousing. It’s not just fun; it helps kids learn their physical limits and develop important risk assessment skills.

4. Practice Observation

Before jumping in to save the day, they suggest that the caregiver take a moment to observe. Are they genuinely at risk, or just figuring things out? Sometimes, the best learning moments happen when we let kids take charge. We do this a great deal at the school at all levels of our Round Square program to foster leadership and communication skills, with teachers as their “guides from the side.” 

5. Teach Problem-Solving

If kids find themselves in a pickle, Beno and Beaulieu suggest we guide them with thoughtful questions like,

• “What will you do if you slip?”
• “How will you get across that gap?”
• “What’s your plan for getting down?”

These prompts empower them to think critically and creatively. They encourage kids to think for themselves instead of relying solely on parental caution. These kinds of questions are innate to all of our IB units of inquiry. 

Making Room for Risky Play

Here are a few ideas inspired by the article:

• Structured Free Play: Schedule time in your day specifically for unstructured play. Let kids engage in risky activities at their own pace.
• Educator Training: Encourage schools to train educators on how to safely and effectively promote risky play.
• Community Support: Advocate for local policies that shift the mindset from “as safe as possible” to “as safe as necessary.”

Looking Ahead to Adolescence

As a high school administrator, I see the parallels between empowering childhood risk-taking and safely navigating the teenage years. Just as young children need to navigate risky play, teens must learn to make their own choices, whether it’s that critical moment when a friend asks for a ride, but this means overloading the car, or deciding whether to attend an unsupervised party. The skills they develop through risky play as children will serve them well as they venture into the more complex risks of adolescence and adulthood.

Fostering risky play in our children isn’t just about giving them freedom; it’s about preparing them for life’s challenges. As an IB World School that celebrates the attribute of being a risk-taker, it is important we give students healthy opportunities to develop the skills they need to be resourceful and resilient in the face of uncertainty and change.

For further insights, the original article by Emilie Beaulieu and Suzanne Beno “The Role of Risky Play in Child Development.” can be found: in the Paediatrics & Child Health journal (Volume 29, Issue 4, July 2024). As well as: 

Brussoni, M. (n.d.). Risky play for children: Why we should let kids go outside—and then get out. The Nature of Things. Retrieved October 28, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/risky-play-for-children-why-we-should-let-kids-go-outside-and-then-get-out.