Importance of Risk and Challenge in Children's Play

Health and Developmental Benefits of Risk and Challenge in Play

• Children need to try new physical activities to test their physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
• Risk and challenge in play help develop manipulative and motor skills, and gain mastery over their bodies.
• It enhances perceptual development, including depth, form, shape, size, movement perception, and general spatial-orientation abilities.
• Risk and challenge in play also develop muscle strength, endurance, and skeletal strength.

Importance of Risk and Challenge in Play

• It satisfies children's innate need for risk with reasonable risks to prevent them from finding greater unmanaged risk themselves.
• Children learn how to manage risk (understanding safety) and gain a sense of accomplishment.
• It fosters greater confidence and competence, and encourages children to seek new challenges and learn new skills.
• Risk and challenge in play promote life-long participation in physical activities.

Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and Risky Play Provision

Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity

• Children develop emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience, and sense of agency when they take considered risks in their decision-making and cope with the unexpected.

Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

• Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing when they make choices, accept challenges, take considered risks, manage change, and cope with frustrations and the unexpected.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

• This is achieved when educators plan learning environments with appropriate levels of challenge.

Challenges for Educators

• Provide the best possible play opportunities and create play spaces that attract children and give them scope to play in new, more exciting, and more creative ways.

Effective Risk Assessment and Management

• Distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable risks, considering the likelihood of coming to harm, the severity of that harm, and the benefits, rewards, or outcomes of the activity.
• Observe children and identify those who need greater challenge or specific support.
• Establish and display expectations for behavior.
• Actively encourage children to assess risks and possible consequences.
• Establish a systematic maintenance program.