Children learn through risky play, but how much danger is just enough but not too much?

Kelsie Prabawa-Sear,  Nature Play WA CEO, explores the benefits of learning through risk. She noted that anyone that reflects on their own childhood remembers that there are bumps and scratches.

Wobbly Moments

“Wobbly moments are just a really natural part of childhood and something that we adults shouldn’t try to erase from childhood.”

Parents want to protect their children from injury, but the consequence of that is that may not develop their own sense of decision making.

“We are not letting our kids enjoy the delights of risk in their childhood. If they don’t have confidence to make decisions and they’re not given opportunities to work things out and try things for themselves, they are missing out on key skills.”

Risk Assessment

Children need to be able to test what their body is capable of doing. It will affect how they handle decision-making into their teen years. If they haven’t had a healthy amount of risk taking, they could start making dangerous decisions.

“They start doing things that are really actually dangerous because they’re looking for risk, but don’t know how to assess it and what they’re capable of and what that might mean.”

Kelsie listed the example of riding a bike.

“You learn that you have to go a bit slower and you can accelerate out of corners. If you’ve never learnt that on your bike and then you get in a car, you don’t realise what a slippery road might be or what speed will do.”

Levels of Risk Appetite

Everyone has a different risk appetite, according to Kelsie.

“That can be based on your own experience, or your own coordination or self-confidence.”

Parents or grandparents can potentially project their own risk appetite onto the child based on their experiences or simply out of fear that the child might be injured.

“Sometimes we get risk adverse, when really the kids are a lot more capable than we realise.”

These instances can happen with older children who are insistent that they can do difficult tasks.

“They really can – so we often see in siblings, the younger sibling might have more advanced skills because of the exposure of their older sibling.”

It is fundamental to childhood and something that parents should learn to embrace.

“We are helping kids understand the difference between risk and challenge and danger, and they’re really different things.”

Risky Vs Unsafe Play

Unsafe play is something that is unsafe, dangerous or structurally wrong – most likely to cause imminent injury.

“If, for example, you go on a rusty slide with jagged bits. You’re going to be injured badly.”

Kids often have it innately in them, to know the difference between risky or unsafe play,” said Kelsie.

“They have different skills and willingness to take risks.”

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva

As we leave winter behind and welcome warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to encourage children to spend more time outdoors.

Dr Kelsie Prabawa-Sear, CEO of Nature Play WA, shares insights on how to motivate young children to reconnect with the joy of outdoor play.

Why Is It Hard to Motivate Kids to Play Outside?

It often depends on their age or lack of recent experience playing outdoors. Some children may not think about playing outside if they haven’t done it often, or they might wonder who they’ll play with. Bringing a friend along can suddenly make outdoor play more exciting. Every child has different interests, so sometimes it just takes time outside for them to remember what they love about being outdoors. Once they start playing, the endorphins and fresh air often keep them outside longer than expected.

How to Encourage Outdoor Play for Kids Under 10

• For kids who love kicking and chasing balls, outdoor ball games are a great go-to.
• For less competitive fun, try playful activities like what Kelsie did with her children, hitting a shuttlecock with Tupperware lids, which encourages laughter and creativity.
• In the backyard, provide simple items like empty buckets, pots, and pans with spoons for mixing “potions.”
• As kids grow, introduce real tools and natural objects like sticks to encourage tinkering and hands-on exploration, suiting all children regardless of gender.
• Offer open-ended play materials that sparkle creativity and science.

Getting children back outside with playful and creative options helps them rediscover the benefits of nature and active play, boosting their physical health, social skills, and overall happiness.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva