An Introduction to Risky Play

Dealing with your own fears and letting your child set the pace

In newsletter 1 of the Outdoor Play Masterclass, we explored the importance of outdoor play.

Having an understanding of why outdoor play is important is one step along the journey towards spending more time outside each day. But what about the things that can be off-putting when it comes to spending more time outside?

One of the biggest issues we face as parents is keeping our children safe. Our natural urge is to protect them and keep them away from danger. Sometimes, we can go too far with this and keep our children so safe that they don’t do anything remotely risky.

As a former helicopter parent myself, I know that finding the right balance between letting your child explore and keeping them safe can be hard.

Simply watching a short Reel can give off the wrong impression about what risky play is, so I wanted to explore what is is in more detail.

What You’ll Learn in this article:

• What risky play is

• Why risky play is important

• The difference between risk and hazard

• Health & safety considerations

• Creating an Outdoor ‘Yes Space’

• Why be careful doesn’t work

• When to interrupt play

• Dressing for play

• Following the Child

This newsletter is part of A Playful Year which is exclusive to paid subscribers. To access the content, including printable resources and guides, please click the link below.