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Mindset definition: (1) attitude, disposition, or mood; (2) an intention or inclination

Disposition definition: a person's inherent qualities of mind and character.

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In terms of Social & Emotional Learning and Development:
What are you curious about? What questions do you have?

What dispositions and/or mindsets do you believe are important when supporting SEL&D?

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In terms of Social & Emotional Learning and Development:
What are you curious about? What questions do you have?

What dispositions and/or mindsets do you believe are important when supporting SEL&D?

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In terms of Social & Emotional Learning and Development:
What are you curious about? What questions do you have?

What dispositions and/or mindsets do you believe are important when supporting SEL&D?

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In terms of Social & Emotional Learning and Development:
What are you curious about? What questions do you have?

What dispositions and/or mindsets do you believe are important when supporting SEL&D?

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In terms of Social & Emotional Learning and Development:
What are you curious about? What questions do you have?

What dispositions and/or mindsets do you believe are important when supporting SEL&D?

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SEL Plus (includes SEL Suggestions for Older Children)

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SEL Plus (includes SEL Suggestions for Older Children)

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Reflective Questions from NAEYC's Young Children "You're Okay" May Not be Okay

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Reflective Questions from NAEYC's Young Children "You're Okay" May Not be Okay

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Speaking directly with children is a foundational early childhood practice.

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This session was developed for a school district that was transitioning into a new SEL Curriculum. This is a supplemental talk about the importance of OUR LANGUAGE. The information presented addresses children preschool through fifth grade.

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Building Community: Creating a Class Name

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Building Community: Creating a Class Name

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Significance of Gross/Large Motor Development

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Significance of Gross/Large Motor Development

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Gross motor, sometimes called large motor, skills can be thought of as the movements involved in the coordination of the arms, legs and other large body parts and movements. Gross motor skills are movements such as running, crawling, swimming or hopping. These types of movements are important for young children to practice as they develop because they help children learn how to coordinate and control their body movements. Gross motor skills also help lay the foundation to be able to complete fine motor skill movement such as pinching or grasping.

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Use these simple activities to help build your child's gross motor skills.

Young children need time to practice using their gross motor skills in everyday situations.

Gross motor, sometimes called large motor, skills can be thought of as the movements involved in the coordination of the arms, legs and other large body parts and movements. Gross motor skills are movements such as running, crawling, swimming or hopping. These types of movements are important for young children to practice as they develop because they help children learn how to coordinate and control their body movements. Gross motor skills also help lay the foundation to be able to complete fine motor skill movement such as pinching or grasping.

Young children need time to practice using their gross motor skills in everyday situations. The opportunity to run in large areas, practice hopping on one foot, crawling or leaping is helping children to develop their control and coordination of their bodies.

How can you help your child practice gross motor skills? Michigan State University Extension suggests these 10 simple activities to try at home. These activities will help develop hand-eye coordination and help children learn to control and coordinate the movement of their bodies.

1. Ball play. Roll, throw, catch, toss, kick and bounce balls.

2. Tag. Run and chase each other around. For an added twist, when someone is caught have them freeze until another person touches and unfreezes them.

3. Tape line. Using tape to mark a line on the floor or ground, have children practice walking and balancing on the line. Have children hop over the line from side to side to practice hopping. You can also use other items such as a piece of wood or large branch to make a balance beam.

4. Balloon play. Throw balloons in the air and try and catch them, keep them from hitting the ground or volley them back and forth together.

5. Obstacle course. Set up items such as hula hoops (or yarn circles), chairs, small tables, balls and buckets and have children climb over, under, run around and transport items from one area to another.

6. Bubble play. Blow bubbles, chase and pop them. Have children use the bubble wand and spin around or run fast to make bubbles instead of blowing to make them.

7. Simon Says or Mother May I. Play Simon Says or Mother May I, focusing on doing large movements such as hopping on one foot, hopping up and down, touching your toes, swinging your arms, taking giant steps, spinning steps, crab walking, etc.

8. Music. Play different types of music that include fast and slow and have a dance party. Do a movement and have children copy that movement, then have them do a movement and copy them.

9. Box play. Using empty boxes of all sizes, let children crawl through them, over them or under them. Have children push and pull the boxes to move them around.

10. Toss and throw. Using bean bags, socks filled with beans or soft toys, have children toss items into containers, taped off area on the floor or chalk drawn areas on the driveway.

Practicing gross motor skills will help children learn how to control and coordinate their body movements. For more ideas about activities and articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the MSU Extension website.

Other related articles:
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Building gross motor skills and why it matters

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Use these simple activities to help build your child's gross motor skills. Gross motor, sometimes called large motor, skills can be thought of as the movements involved in the coordination of the arms, legs and other large body parts and movements. Gross motor skills are movements such as running, crawling, swimming or hopping.

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Why Are Gross Motor Skills Important?

When children do not have well-developed gross motor skills, this can result in:

poor concentration in class

poor body awareness and control

difficulty writing

difficulty sitting at a desk

inability to cross the midline

poor posture, balance and coordination

avoidance of sports and physical activities

What Are Examples of Gross Motor Skills?

Here is a list of gross motor skills examples for preschoolers:

running, walking, galloping, chasing

crawling, lifting, reaching

skipping, hopping, leaping

catching, throwing, pushing, pulling

rolling, dribbling, kicking

balance and coordination

hitting, bouncing, passing

climbing, hanging, holding

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Advice from the OT: Why Good Sitting = Good Learning - Minds in Bloom

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Did you know how much of an impact sitting has on learning? Our guest blogger is an occupational therapist, and she shares why good sitting is so essential.

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When you think back to your favourite childhood play experiences, chances are they took place outdoors, unsupervised and while hanging out with friends. But today's kids spend far less time playing than their parents did.

Mariana Brussoni, a professor at the University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital - featured in The Nature of Things documentary - has spent years researching the benefits of play that have an element of risk. Risky play for children, she explains, is "thrilling and exciting play where children engage in risk without certainty," and it has been proven to have immense benefits.

The benefits of risky play

Risky play involves kids experimenting and pushing themselves to figure out what will happen, without knowing the exact outcome. If kids don't go far enough with their play, it's boring and if they go too far, it gets too scary, Brussoni explains. She likens it to a science experiment, where kids are testing out their environment and determining what they're comfortable with.

"When we have kids engage in play, it's really a fundamental way for them to figure out the world - how the world works, how their body works," says Brussoni, adding that these little experiments are all done "in context of a relatively safe space."

Risky play in early childhood can help develop a child's self-confidence, resilience, executive functioning abilities and even risk-management skills. And Brussoni's work in injury prevention research shows that engaging in risky play can actually reduce the risk of injury, too.

Brussoni gives the following tips for parents on how to put riskier play into action.

Focus on 'as safe as necessary' over 'as safe as possible'

Consider a playground. Things such as needles on the ground or broken equipment would be cause for parental intervention, whereas navigating a bush with thorns at eye-level, for example, would be something you could involve the child in.

Rather than removing the plant altogether, Brussoni advises assessing the situation together, having the child take stock of the thorns and then suggest ways to stay safe. Balance the risk with the benefits, she says.

Provide guidance

Brussoni suggests that when you walk your child to school every day, it can be helpful to take the time to point out the potential dangers so that they gradually reach a point where they have enough knowledge to stay safe. This builds confidence and prepares them for solo adventures.

MORE:
From bonobos to sheep, lots of animals enjoy play as much as we do
Unstructured play can create mentally healthier kids

Don't let your own fears get in the way

Parents' fears can get in the way of giving their children freedom. Worries about kidnapping and injury, and the fear of people thinking they're bad caregivers can drive many parents to intervene before their child can engage in risk during play.

But statistics show that the likelihood of a child in Canada getting kidnapped is 1 in 14 million - similar odds to winning the lottery. And recent estimates show that children would need to spend about three hours per day playing, every day, for 10 years before they were likely to get an injury that needed treatment (and it would likely still be minor).

Brussoni and her team of researchers have developed an online tool called Outsideplay.ca, which informs parents on making informed choices regarding risky play for their children.

Practice the 17-second rule

Instead of telling your child not to climb so high or run so fast while observing them at play, take a moment - or, as Brussoni advises, 17 seconds. Step back, she says, and "see how your child is reacting to the situation so that you can actually get a better sense of what they're capable of when you're not getting in the way."

Brussoni explains that this will provide them with "the opportunity to figure out for themselves what's comfortable and what they can do," while allowing them to develop those all-important risk-management skills.

Get out of the way

In , Brussoni states that the most important thing parents and guardians can do is get out of the way: provide children with an environment for play and then let them play.

This doesn't necessarily mean that optimal risky play is unsupervised. For younger kids, it may simply be about facilitating and supporting children in how they want to play, rather than guiding it .

6 key factors to risky play:

1. Play with heights, such as climbing trees or structures

2. Play at high speeds, such as a fast game of tag or riding a bike really fast

3. Play with tools, such as building a fort or whittling a stick

4. Play near elements, such as playing near fire, water, a cliff or something that a child could fall into

5. Play with a chance of getting lost, such as wandering the neighbourhood with friends unsupervised, or simply hiding in the bushes for younger kids.

6. Rough-and-tumble play, such as play fighting "

Provide time, freedom and space for good play

Brussoni emphasizes that parents need to carve out enough time to let children play, despite a high volume of homework and extracurriculars. Kids need to be afforded the freedom to play the way they want to, without being limited by the mindset of their guardians.

High-quality play also requires space - both physical and psychological. In terms of physical space, there needs to be enough of it, and it has to be of good quality (more on this later). Psychological space, Brussoni explains, "involves the feeling that somebody has their back" so that kids "feel like they have the latitude to try and try these experiments."

Create a play space with loose parts and materials

Brussoni and her team are currently developing a playability index to find out what elements are necessary to create a high-quality outdoor play space in neighbourhoods.

In her interviews with hundreds of children, one factor stood out: the freedom to build on imagination. In the typical North American playground, equipment is fixed and the options for play are limited; there is only so much you can do with a slide, monkey bars or swings.

Instead, Brussoni's team recommends removing all this structure, and instead providing loose materials such as logs, mud, tarps, crates, sticks, planks, ropes and even water to play with.

These elements can often be found in nature, vacant lots and even junkyards, but the most important element in any play space is, again, the psychological and physical space to take risks.

To learn more, watch on The Nature of Things.

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Risky play for children: Why we should let kids go outside and then get out of the way

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It turns out play with an element of risk may be exactly what today's kids are missing

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Risky Play from Early Childhood Educator

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Risky Play from Early Childhood Educator

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Abstract

Free play is important in early childhood and offers physical and mental health benefits. Outdoor play offers opportunity for children to use natural elements and promotes physical activity, among other health benefits, including exploring their environment and taking risks. Risky outdoor play may involve challenges, heights, speed, and the potential for injury, but has been associated with increased physical activity levels, decreased sedentary behaviour, improved mental health, and social benefits. The integration of loose parts, or open-ended, unstructured materials, into play environments, has been associated with positive social behaviours, creativity, and improved problem-solving, confidence, and resilience. As opportunities for risky play in early childhood are determined by adults, including early childhood educators, it is important to understand their perspectives on these types of play. The purpose of this study was to explore early childhood educators' perspectives of risky play, in the context of the Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) intervention. PLEY was a mixed methods study that aimed to evaluate a loose parts intervention in early childcare settings. This paper used Qualitative Description to explore educators' perspectives. Data were collected from 15 focus groups with early childhood educators. Four themes were identified through thematic analysis. The first explains how risky play with loose parts contributes to evolution in educator perceptions; the second describes how educators' perceptions of risk are connected to institutions and systems; the third illustrates how educators developed strategies to facilitate risky play with loose parts; and the fourth demonstrates how educators perceive risky play as beneficial for children's healthy development. This project highlights societal shifts in play and how loose parts and risky play fit into the ongoing evolution in play, from the perspectives of early childhood educators.

Keywords: early childhood, education, loose parts, risky play, educator perspectives

1. Introduction

Unstructured, self-directed, free play dominates early childhood and affords children numerous physical, cognitive, and mental health benefits [1]. The outdoor environment offers particular play opportunities and health benefits for children that cannot be replicated indoors [2]. When children play outdoors, they are able to move freely, explore new movements, and exert more energy; they have fewer restrictions in space and more opportunity to use natural elements [1],[3],[4]. Children are happier, experience lower levels of anxiety, and have more energy when they play outdoors [5],[6]; physical activity levels are also higher, and sedentary behaviour lower, when children are outside compared to inside [4]. Importantly, when children are given the opportunity to play outdoors, they are able to explore their environment and take risks [5],[7] which is critical for healthy child development [6].

Risky play is described as thrilling and exciting play, that may involve challenges, heights, speed, tools, rough and tumble play, and testing limits, with the possibility of physical injury [6],[8],[9]. Children have an evolutionary need to engage in free, unstructured, exploratory play outdoors [10]. Increasingly, research is showcasing the benefits and importance of risky outdoor play [1],[4],[6],[11]. A review by Brussoni et al. (2015) determined that risky outdoor play has many positive effects on health, including increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour, as well as improved learning, mental and physical health, and increased play time, social interaction and creativity [6]. Through risky play, children have opportunity to be physically active [12], become more independent, confident, and resilient [5], and learn important self-regulation skills [1]. Researchers have recently suggested that engagement in risky play can offer opportunity for children to navigate uncertainty and coping, leading to decreased anxiety over time [13].

While the health, social, and developmental benefits of risky play are becoming understood, there has been historical focus on its potential dangers as well. While risky play is inherently, of course, risky [14], a recent systematic review indicates that although there has been a focus on danger, the vast majority of risky play incidents are minor [6]. Belief in benefits of risk taking need not lead to complacency in safety, but requires distinguishing between appropriate well-managed risk and danger or hazards [15]. While restrictive risk-reduction strategies might ensure momentary child safety, they may also impede their healthy development [11],[14]. Children learn from experience, even of injury, and are often able to assess their own risk [14]. Risky play allows children to engage in risk assessment, negotiate risk, and understand their limits [11]. Historically, however, risk has been narrowly defined, with negative connotations, which has contributed to risk-aversive practices and a decline in opportunities for children to engage with risk [1],[11],[16].

The Canadian Position Statement on Active, Outdoor Play states, "access to active play in nature and outdoors - with its risks - is essential for healthy child development", highlighting both the importance of risky play, and the outdoor context as space for facilitating risky play [1]. Outdoor play lends itself to more risky and adventurous play [13]. Children today spend less time outdoors than their parents did, and more time in institutions and structured activities [1],[17]. Concerns about safety have limited children's access to risky outdoor play and independent mobility [18],[19]. Further, children's access to outdoor spaces, with their risks, may be limited by beliefs that children lack the competence to engage with the world alone and are in danger when outside [20]. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for children to have the opportunity to engage in unstructured, risky, outdoor play.

Risk-taking opportunities in early childhood are also largely influenced by adults, including educators [12],[13],[16]. Due to increased emphasis on both safety and school readiness, many early years programs are focusing more on structured activities, and educators are acknowledging ideas around risky play are shifting and evolving [11],[21]. While early learning environments have been identified as particularly important contexts for children to be able to learn about and engage with risk, navigating risky play in these environments is a complex and multi-faceted issue [11],[12],[14],[17],[22],[23]. Research exploring educators' perceptions of risky play suggests that early childhood educators recognize the importance of, but identify barriers, including their understanding of safety, regulations, accountability, and potential litigation, with educators in identified less-litigious contexts being more open to risky play [12],[15],[16],[22]-[26]. Research has begun to identify strategies employed by educators in negotiating risky play, including supervision and observation [6],[11],[14],[15],[22],[27], though further investigation is warranted to support early childhood educators in navigating this complex issue.

There is overlap between risky play, outdoor play, physical activity, and learning environments [13]. Features of the early learning environment influence the extent of available risky play opportunities [28]. Previous research highlights the importance of environments that support children to explore, experiment, accept challenges, and take risks [6],[11],[15],[22]. The integration of loose parts into children's outdoor play environments may facilitate opportunities for risky play. Loose parts are open-ended, manufactured or natural play materials that are moveable and without a dictated purpose, which may include anything from recycled tires and stumps, to car parts or pinecones [29],[30]. Literature exploring the impact of loose parts play suggests it may promote play participation and engagement, social negotiation, creativity, imagination, problem-solving, and improved physical activity [31]-[37]. Research has also suggested benefits of loose parts play include confidence, leadership, determination, resilience, and enabled risk-taking [38]. Loose parts offer the opportunity for adventurous, risky play, facilitate exploration and creativity, and allow children to direct their environments and play [34],[39]-[41]. Loose parts have been associated with risky play as they offer opportunity for climbing, swinging, and balancing, and encourage children to test their abilities, and negotiate and assess risk [34],[39],[41]. With evidence suggesting outdoor play and learning spaces rarely afford the opportunity for risky play [15], introducing loose parts may provide that opportunity.

Ecological approaches, or those that situate health across the context of complex, multi-level environments, from the micro to the macro level, are often employed in health promotion research, particularly in relation to physical activity [42]-[46]. Van Rooijen and Newstead (2017), drew upon ecological approaches to explore factors influencing professional attitudes toward risk-taking in childhood play [17]. They developed a model represented by concentric circles, with the practitioner centered, surrounded by increasingly larger levels of influence [17]. Their model includes how children are constructed (for example, as vulnerable and in need of protection); professionals' attitudes, beliefs, and values regarding risk; relationships with parents (requiring collaboration, trust, and communication); regulatory factors like playground restrictions, accountability, and liability; and finally broader cultural factors, including social, political, and environmental concerns [17]. They assert the complex interaction and interdependence of these factors results in significant ongoing conflict, negotiation, and contradictions experienced by childhood practitioners, and suggest future research is warranted to further explore their perspectives [17].

Expanding on existing literature, we explored the perspectives of early childhood educators who took part in the Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) project, an outdoor loose parts play intervention [47]. The purpose of this study was to explore early childhood educators' perspectives of risky play, and more specifically, risky play in the context of this outdoor loose parts play intervention, in alignment with the model proposed by van Rooijen and Newstead (2017) [17].

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Study design

This paper qualitatively describes educator perceptions of preschooler's risky outdoor play collected as part of a mixed methods intervention study, the Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) project (registered ID# ISRCTN14058106). The purpose of the PLEY project was to evaluate a loose parts intervention in regulated early childcare settings, including its impact on physical activity and outdoor play, and educator and parent perceptions. The PLEY intervention involved integrating loose parts (such as rope, milk crates, wood, tires, and buckets) into the outdoor play spaces of 11 childcare centres across Nova Scotia for periods between six and eight months. The project used a socioecological approach and the RE-AIM framework to explore multiple levels of influence and understand the impact of the intervention [46],[48]. Further details regarding the PLEY project intervention protocol are presented elsewhere [47].

Qualitative data were collected using Qualitative Description methodology. Qualitative Description is an exploratory methodology which, while less interpretive than other qualitative methodologies, is focused on describing the lived experiences of participants, from their perspectives [49],[50]. The emphasis on rich description, participant voice, and a tendency to remain close to the data, made Qualitative Description an ideal methodology for this study [49],[50].

2.2. Data collection and analysis

Early childhood educators from childcare centres involved in the PLEY intervention were invited to take part in focus groups. Fifteen focus groups took place, nine of which occurred three months following the intervention, and six of which occurred six months following the intervention. Each intervention site was represented in the focus groups and included early childhood educators from a variety of sites, with between three to five educators taking part in each focus group. Focus groups each lasted approximately 45-60 minutes and included questions regarding the intervention, active outdoor play, loose parts, and risk-taking. All focus groups were audio recorded and facilitated by a member of the research team and a notetaker.

Audio data from focus groups were transcribed verbatim, organized using Microsoft Word (version 16.16.3) and imported into QSR NVivo 11 for analysis. Thematic analysis was guided by the methods of Miles and Huberman [51] and Braun and Clarke [52]. Analysis was conducted by research staff and guided by senior members of the research team. Analysis began with research staff reviewing transcripts and identifying codes using open inductive coding. Frequent research team meetings facilitated the collaborative and iterative development of a codebook. Two coders coded each transcript early in analysis in order to facilitate consistency, and once consistent coding was established, remaining transcripts were coded by one member of the research team. Once transcripts were coded, a collaborative process was used to explore relationships between codes and identify trends across the data, in order to generate themes [51],[52]. Quality and rigour, including dependability, authenticity, and credibility, were facilitated using this collaborative and iterative process, in addition to using peer review, field notes, and memo-ing [53],[54]. Themes were then examined in consideration of ecological approaches and the model proposed by van Rooijen and Newstead (2017) [17].

3. Results

Four themes were identified through Qualitative Description and thematic analysis. The first theme describes how risky play with loose parts uncovers evolution in educator experience, perceptions, and practice; the second theme presents how educators' perceptions of risk are connected to institutions, systems, and discourses of safety; the third theme demonstrates how educators developed strategies to facilitate risky play with loose parts; and the final theme explores how educators perceive risky play as beneficial for children's healthy development.

3.1. Theme 1: Risky play with loose parts uncovers evolution in educator experience, perceptions, and practice

The first theme highlights how risky play and the loose parts intervention brought to light how educators' background, experience, and history contributed to their perceptions. As part of this theme, educators reflected on the historical and societal shifts that have occurred in the way children play. Participants reflected on their own experiences, including where and how they were raised, and played, and how their own experiences contributed to their feelings about risky play. One educator said, for example, "we knew every inch of the woods all through our neighborhood and parents weren't with us, I'm not sure if that happens as much anymore". They related these perspectives of risky play to their work as early childhood educators, with one saying, "when you've been in the business for so long you're ingrained of just keep them safe, make sure they're safe, the times are changing where risk is part of their play now", suggesting that attitudes around risky play have changed. One participant noted the loose parts intervention helped reveal this evolution in perspectives regarding risky play, saying "perhaps before there wasn't enough risk taking, [...] I started to say to myself, I think we better stop saying, 'be careful, be careful' all the time" noting the loose parts intervention as helpful in facilitating reflection on risky play.

Educators also reflected upon how they each have their own individual comfort level with risky play. Many participants described how they were more comfortable with risky play outside than inside. One said they were "more free with the risk-taking outside", while another said, "when they're outside they have the space to explore, they have the room to just run and jump". Another common perspective was that educators were mindful of the responsibility associated with caring for other people's children. One said, "it's someone else's child and you want them to be in one piece at the end of the day". Several participants noted they were more comfortable with risky play with their own children, with one saying, "I don't want other people's kids to get hurt, but like, I let my own kid do something and they get hurt I'd be like well you know that's my kid". Some participants reflected on how their own upbringing impacted their perspective on risky play, with one saying, "as a child I did everything so I'm able to let them". Similarly, another participant said, "we had strict rules of what happened in our house and it wasn't the risk play", and one considered, "I wonder if my opinions would change if I was more of a risk taker as a child".

Educators also noted that they were progressively becoming more comfortable with risky play, and that this was facilitated by their participation in the outdoor loose parts play intervention. Educators relayed that systemic, environmental, and cultural shifts were happening regarding risky play, in association with the intervention. One said, for example, "I think there's a change, there's an awareness that wasn't there before", while another said, "we're seeing a shift within our own organization". Connecting to the earlier theme of confidence, a participant said, about children's risk-taking with loose parts, "it's building the children's skills and confidence and then as that's happening, yours is also being built which means that there's this beautiful sort of mutual respect". Similarly, a participant said, "the more educated you get about it [...] you feel more confident in yourself to let your children take the risks". Others discussed how their participation in the outdoor loose parts play intervention changed "our mindset" or " changed my whole perception of risk". To sum, one educator said, "we see the benefits of it now, not the scariness of it". Finally, some participants noted the impact of the intervention more broadly, saying, for example, "I feel like being a part of this has allowed the company to loosen up a little bit", indicating that the outdoor loose parts play intervention contributed to changing perceptions of risky play institutionally. Educators recognized shifts in how risky play was perceived over time, that were contributed to by their own history, education, and experiences. The outdoor loose parts play intervention offered an opportunity for further learning and experiences, contributed to shifts in educator perceptions of risky play, and increased comfort in risky play.

3.2. Theme 2: Educator perceptions of risky play are tied to institutions and systems

Educators in this project also connected their perceptions of risky play to institutions and systems, and broad discourses around responsibility and safety. As part of this theme, educators articulated their fear of children getting hurt and being responsible for that injury. All participants discussed situations and experiences where they had experienced fear, worry, and anxiety associated with risky play. One said, "as a teacher you just tend to feel responsible", a sentiment that was common among the educators in this project. Connecting to the above subtheme around individual comfort with risk, one participant said risky play had taken them "out of my comfort zone for risk because I think of the worst scenario, not the best scenario". Others connected this to the above subthemes of perceptions of risky play changing over time, with one saying, "I've been in the field for a long time [...] years ago it was 'no you can't do that' [...] it's a hard thing to let go of [...] nobody wants to see children be hurt but the more you let them do things you realize that yah it's risky but it's not usually that bad". One participant said that their role is about "keeping everybody safe [...] I want to support the risky play, but at the same time we have to be careful", which was aligned with many participants who noted that there is a balance to be found between encouraging risk and ensuring safety.

Closely connected to the fears and worries that come with risky play, educators discussed their perceptions of rules, regulations, reporting, and responsibility. A common perception was that "with the risk taking comes a lot of paperwork too". Many participants discussed the protocols and requirements associated with an injury. One said, "you're writing the accident report in your head" in regard to watching risky play take place, while another said, "I mean every child's going to have a fall, every child is going at some point [...] you need a band-aid [...] but apparently now it's like any mark [...] it needs to be written up", noting a bit of fatigue with reporting, but also acknowledging that injuries may happen in risky play. Others acknowledged the obligations around risk to be important, with one saying, "the policy is about accountability [...] our actions reflect on the centre". Other participants reflected on the importance of communication, saying, "that's the way that administration would look at it, 'how are you going to do this safely? Tell me why you want to do it'", highlighting the connection between their perception of risk and that of the administration.

3.3. Theme 3: Educators developed strategies to facilitate risky play with loose parts

Through this project, educators also reflected on the strategies they developed to support risky play and the use of loose parts. Observation was a key strategy noted by many of the participants in facilitating risky play. Educators discussed the importance of stepping back, staying close without interrupting, and letting children lead. One participant said, "for me it was just the teaching strategy of letting her take the risk and letting her come to her own conclusions". Another said, "If you're scared they're going to be scared, so just, you know, be nearby and let them try". Educators also often discussed how they speak to children engaging in risky play. One noted the importance of being "more mindful of what I'm saying to them in those moments and if I need to say anything at all" and the value of "being supportive and not restrictive". Many discussed the strategy of asking questions, with one saying, "I've been trying to steer away from 'be careful' and kind of phrase, like, more open-ended questions, like 'what would happen if you step your foot there?'". Others discussed the importance of providing encouragement, with one saying, "I wanted to let her be independent, let her be creative and definitely gave her words of encouragement, like 'this is awesome [...] look at how you're balancing'". Finally, some participants discussed switching out with one another as educators, with one saying, "maybe I'm going to step back because I know you're a little more comfortable and you can facilitate this", acknowledging again that individual educators will have varying comfort with risk.

Relatedly, educators mentioned the importance of communication in facilitating risky play and outdoor loose parts play. As mentioned, educators have individual experience, background, and comfort levels with risky play, and communicate with one another to ensure educators feel comfortable supervising each activity. Others discussed how risky play warranted communication when there were staff changes, with one saying, "we've just recently had new staff that have come in so we kind of had to go through the whole process all over again explaining it and expectations but also like comfort levels and kind of where we're at with risk taking". Additionally, many participants discussed the importance of talking to parents about risky play. One said, "we have lots of parent nights dedicated to it [...] we do try to really open up that as a talking point with our families so they're comfortable with things that we're doing with their children", while another said, "talking it through with our parents and our families is really important because I don't want them to just walk in and think it's like [...] we're not being careful or thoughtful, that we're not being intentional, because we know the benefits". Others connected this more directly to the loose parts intervention, noting that "it created a dialogue" and "gave us more tools to go and say this is why we're doing this [...] And how we're going to do this effectively", demonstrating the importance of clear communication with families regarding risky play and loose parts.

3.4. Theme 4: Educators perceive risky play with loose parts as beneficial for children's healthy development

The final theme describes how educators perceived risky play as beneficial for children's healthy development. Participants discussed their perceptions that children should take risks and want to take risks, and frequently discussed how risks come with rewards. One said, for example, "they're up so high and they could fall down and hurt themselves, but there's so much more that they learn from it". Some described risky play as a natural and important part of healthy development, saying, "it's part of growing up". Others noted how children wanted to engage in this type of play, with one saying, "I think it was just, it was something they craved, like they kind of needed to explore it, they needed to see if they could". In addition, educators noted that risky play was perceived as "thrilling to them" and that it made "outside time more exciting". Participants discussed the importance of boundary-pushing and thrill-seeking associated with risky play. One educator said, for example, "they're pushing the boundaries to see how far they can go". Another participant said, "it's also the forbidden fruit, my mother doesn't let me do that, but I can do that at the daycare", describing their perception of how children enjoyed risk-taking opportunities.

Educators also described their perception that risky play promoted problem-solving, social skills, and confidence. One participant noted that, "the big improvement I think has been the children, you know who are really now taking more risks, and using a lot more problem solving". Participants also discussed how the children self-assessed risks and developed risk-management skills. One said, for example, "the class independently decided that's too high, we should not jump from here", while another said, "I think they know like where their limits are". Many educators discussed their perception that risky play promoted confidence. One said, for example, "you really saw the child sort of push themselves out of their comfort zone", while another said, "I think the more risk they take, the more confidence they have". This confidence was also associated with pride and was perceived to have long-term health benefits: "it's a sense of pride, it's a sense of accomplishment and that's huge cause [...] that's what they see in the future and them taking risks in adulthood".

Participants also mentioned the value of risky play for supporting children's physical health and well-being. One participant noted that risk taking during outdoor loose parts play allowed children to "really push themselves physically", and how, "over time they're just taking bigger risks, using more muscles you know, using different muscles". By taking risks, children were developing critical fundamental movement skills, such as coordination and balance, and improving muscular strength and endurance: " you can really see that their coordination is improving, their balance is improving"; "his muscle development was not quite there [...] and his parents had mentioned that he had come a long way [...] and he was enjoying the experience.

Finally, there seemed to be consensus among participants that the loose parts intervention provided more opportunity for risky play. One educator said, "I notice a lot more of that with the loose parts, like the risk-taking opportunities are awesome". Another added, about the loose parts intervention, "it really added to our play and to their risks". Others discussed how children were more ready and prepared to take risks, with one saying, "they were more eager to take risks [...] like after using these materials in different ways, they were more eager", and another agreeing, "they're taking more risks than they would have, or higher risks than they would have". Regarding the loose parts, another participant said, "it gives them the opportunity to scale their risk, depending on what they're comfortable with".

4. Discussion and conclusions

Through Qualitative Description, we identified four themes that can be analyzed using an ecological lens, specifically, the model developed by van Rooijen and Newstead (2017) to explore professional attitudes toward risky play [17]. The first theme highlights how risky play with loose parts contributes to an evolution in educator perceptions. This theme, emphasizing educators' perspectives regarding risky play, is well-aligned with van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) assertion of the importance of professional attitudes toward risk [17]. The second theme, demonstrating how educator perceptions relate to systems and institutions supports van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) suggestion of a layer of influence related to regulatory factors [17]. Our third theme, illustrating how educators developed strategies to facilitate risky play intersects with van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) identification of the importance of relationships with parents, in that our work highlights the importance of communication [17]. Our fourth and final theme, regarding how educators perceive risky play as important for healthy child development aligns with multiple layers of van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model, including professional attitude toward risk, constructions of the child, and cultural factors [17]. Interestingly, each of our themes is further intertwined with both the inner layer, focused on the constructions of the child, and the outer layer, focused on cultural factors, of van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model, highlighting the interrelatedness of these levels. In each of our themes, it is evident that children are constructed both as in need of protection, but also as having agency, developing skills, and learning to negotiate risk. Cultural factors are emphasized throughout each theme as well, with our participants noting broad cultural shifts and evolution in play over time and discussing wide social and political discourse around safety and regulation. This study expands upon previous research by including the perceptions of educators on risky play within the context of a childcare-based outdoor loose parts play intervention.

Through this project, educators reflected on personal and professional development in association with risky play. Educators noted differences between themselves and their colleagues regarding risk taking, acknowledging the influence of their own upbringing and personal experiences. This is important, as educators' perceptions of outdoor play, specifically their beliefs and personal experiences, can influence their teaching and practice, as highlighted in van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model which devotes a layer of influence related to professionals' attitudes toward risk [17],[55]. Relatedly, educators identified a societal shift over time toward focusing on structured activities and increased supervision, resulting in decreased opportunity for risky play. This is aligned with other research that indicates children's participation in physical activity is shifting from unsupervised and unstructured outdoor and risky play to more structured and supervised activities [1],[4],[17],[56],[57]. This is further aligned with van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model which suggests the importance of both regulatory and cultural factors [17] This finding suggests childcare settings have a unique opportunity to provide children with an environment that allows them to explore and challenge themselves through risky play. Importantly, the fact that educators recognize this shift suggests that they understand their role in supporting quality play experiences.

Educators also reflected on how their participation in the outdoor loose parts play intervention improved their comfort with risky play. Through this intervention, educators had the opportunity to develop strategies that facilitated their engagement in risky play. Educators noted observation as a key strategy in supporting risky play. They also discussed the importance of communication regarding risky play and being mindful of how risk is framed. This aligns with strategies suggested when assessing risk taking during outdoor play, including considering both the child's and educators' comfort and abilities [58]. This is also aligned with how van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model suggests the importance of professionals' relationships with parents, which requires clear communication, collaboration, and trust [17]. Similarly, educators have emphasized the importance of understanding their own limits when it comes to assessing risk-taking during outdoor play and how this may sometimes limit children's participation in risky play [17],[58]. Together, these strategies highlight how educators have to negotiate risk taking in the childcare setting.

Through this project, educators also discussed how supporting risky play in the childcare setting comes with challenges and responsibilities. Although educators recognized the importance of risky play, they reflected on the need to balance risk and safety. Educators did express fear and anxiety associated with children injuring themselves through this type of play in the childcare setting. A growing culture of child safety with risk mitigation strategies and childcare centre regulations have impacted the way early childhood educators practice and support risky play; Educators voicing these concerns, and the fears of being perceived as irresponsible, is consistent with previous literature [15],[23]. This is closely connected to van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model's highlighting of regulatory factors as influential in how professionals negotiate risky play [17]. Although participating educators discussed their comfort with their own children engaging in risky play, they voiced how this level of comfort changes with other children due to centre policies and associated responsibilities. This finding suggests regulatory factors can hinder the way they support risk taking in the childcare environment. Educators also discussed the importance of communication with families about risky play, highlighting the need for additional strategies to support this type of communication. This finding is emphasized in the literature where communication with parents, and the need for training to support this dialogue, is critical in order for educators to practice in a way that is meaningful and beneficial for children [59]-[61], and again echoed in the layer of van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model emphasizing professional relationships with parents [17].

In this study, educators discussed how risk-taking in outdoor play is perceived as fun and thrilling, and how they believed this type of play was rewarding and important. This finding suggests that risky play is generally perceived positively and was encouraged in the participating child-care settings. This is an important finding, as educators' attitudes toward risky influences their practice [17],[23]. Likewise, educators discussed how risky play benefits important aspects of child development such as enhanced fundamental movement skills, improved problem-solving, social skills, and confidence, and enhanced self-assessment. These findings are consistent with the literature and suggest that risky play not only benefits children's development, but participating educators are able to connect risky play to pedagogy [1],[4],[6]. This implies that although perceptions of risky play may differ among educators, the idea of risky play is generally perceived positively by educators and is seen as a mechanism for developing various physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional benefits.

Educators also discussed how they perceived the loose parts intervention to have a positive impact on the way children engaged in risky play. Educators described how the intervention facilitated children's physical activity and physical literacy and contributed to the development of fundamental movement skills such as balance and coordination, while also improving confidence. This finding is aligned with literature that suggests loose parts diversify the play experience and afford more opportunity to engage in risky play, through physical activities like climbing and balancing, as well as through controlling their environments, and allowing children to explore [15],[34],[39]-[41].

Important connections can be drawn between the themes identified in this project and across the levels of the model developed by van Rooijen and Newstead (2017) [17]. Across the themes, educators reflected on their own background, upbringing, and experiences. These reflections offer valuable insight into how educators construct their perceptions regarding risk. Educator beliefs significantly influence how they practice in the early childcare setting, with research indicating the belief systems of educators are informed by their own personal experiences and serve as a mechanism for how they make teaching-related decisions [62]. In fact, research has found educators' beliefs and personality type to influence teaching practice more than factors such as centre resources [63]. Across themes, educators also discussed societal shifts around play, and their perceptions that over time and generationally, we have become more risk averse regarding play. In this project, educators noted that the loose parts intervention served as a facilitator for an alternative shift that supported the adoption of risky play. These cross-theme findings also cross the levels of van Rooijen and Newstead's (2017) model, highlighting the importance of the construction of children, professional attitudes toward risk, and cultural factors. Future research should continue to explore societal shifts in play, how perceptions of risk relate to those shifts, and how loose parts may contribute to these perceptions.

Through this project we were able to explore educators' perceptions of risky play in the context of an outdoor loose parts intervention. Educators seem to recognize and appreciate the value of healthy risk taking during outdoor play for child development, and how loose parts materials provide a mechanism for children to explore and challenge themselves. Educators discussed how they negotiate risky play, and shared strategies they use to ease. Future studies are needed to further explore, evaluate, and assess the strategies used by educators here, to determine their efficacy in facilitating risky play, and to identify additional strategies. Future research should also further explore how risky play is communicated in childcare settings: with and between educators and administration, with parents and families, and with children.

This project has several strengths and limitations. A strength of this project is its contribution to the literature by adding a qualitative exploration of early childhood educators' perceptions of outdoor risky play in the context of a loose parts intervention. An additional strength is its use of an ecological framework and the recently developed model of van Rooijen and Newstead (2017) [17]. A further strength is that the work was conducted by a diverse interdisciplinary team with expertise in the use of loose parts in childcare settings. An important limitation of this work is the limited diversity represented in the childcare centres. While childcares from across Nova Scotia were included, they are only representative of regulated childcare centres, and therefore do not include the perspectives of other forms of childcare, limiting the diversity of perspectives that might be included, especially those which may serve historically under-represented groups. Additionally, while educator perceptions make a valuable contribution to the literature, this study is limited by exclusively including educator perspectives, and not including the child perspective as well. Future research should explore child perspectives of risky play and the use of loose parts.

Through this study, we found that risky play with loose parts contributes to an ongoing evolution in educator perceptions, and that those educator perceptions are intertwined with institutional, systemic, and cultural influences. We also found that educators facilitate risky play with loose parts by learning and developing new strategies, and that they perceive risky play to be an important part of healthy child development. Sharing these insights with other early years stakeholders may provide a better understanding on the benefits of risky play and the associated contribution offered by loose parts materials.

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Lawson Foundation (Outdoor Play Strategy). We would like to acknowledge all of the early childhood educators and centres for participating in this work, and the contributions of the Healthy Populations Institute.

Footnotes

Conflict of interest: All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

References

13. Dodd HF, Lester KJ. Adventurous Play as a Mechanism for Reducing Risk for Childhood Anxiety: A Conceptual Model. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2021 [[ PMC free article] [ PubMed] Google Scholar]

35. Armitage M. Play pods in schools: an independent evaluation. United Kingdom: 2010. [ Google Scholar]

42. Bronfenbrenner U. The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1979. [ Google Scholar]

45. Richard L, Gauvin L. Health Promotion in Canada. Canadian Scholars' Press; 2012. Building and Implementing Ecological Health Promotion Interventions; pp. 67-80. [ Google Scholar]

51. Miles MB, Huberman AM. Qualitative Data Analysis: An expanded sourcebook. 2 Eds. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 1994. [ Google Scholar]

Articles from AIMS Public Health are provided here courtesy of AIMS Press

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Early childhood educator perceptions of risky play in an outdoor loose parts intervention

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Free play is important in early childhood and offers physical and mental health benefits. Outdoor play offers opportunity for children to use natural elements and promotes physical activity, among other health benefits, including exploring their environment ...

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In recent years there has been growing concern about children's access to outdoor play, particularly the extent to which an over-emphasis on safety and general risk-aversion has impacted many childhood play experiences that previous generations took for granted¹. Today's parents, uncertain as to how they will be perceived by others, may err on the side of caution rather than risk². Teachers, in turn, may limit children's access to risk-taking opportunities citing their 'duty of care', fearing they could be blamed should injuries occur (no matter how minor); some simply prefer not to take a chance³. However, children need to take risks in the context of play to promote their learning and development. The risks and challenges of being outdoors provide rich opportunities for learning and problem-solving. In this context, children are drawn to experiences that allow them to test the limits of their physical, intellectual and emotional development⁴.

In recognition of the benefits of this type of play, Canadian researchers and play advocacy organisations recently developed a Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, which advocates that:

Access to active play in nature and outdoors-with its risks-is essential for healthy child development. We recommend increasing children's opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings-at home, at school, in childcare, the community and nature ⁵.

What is risky play?

Children thrive on risky play. By risky play, we don't mean engaging in dangerous and reckless behaviour or pushing children beyond their abilities or playing in hazardous areas. Rather, risky play refers to play that involves thrilling, exciting, physically challenging activities like climbing, jumping, balancing, or rough and tumble play, as well as hiding or seclusion from the constant surveillance of adults. These activities provide a sense of fun, enjoyment and exhilaration. From a child's perspective, risky play is really just play and part of the natural progression in their learning as they try new things, challenge themselves and extend their skills by moving out of their comfort zone to push the limits of their current capabilities. The risk part is really more about how adults feel about it and their (often over-protective) desire to keep children safe.

What are the characteristics of risky play?

Alison Stephenson's ⁶ observations of children's outdoor play revealed their attraction to experiences such as riding bikes very fast, climbing around the outside of the fort structure of the fixed play equipment, running across the obstacle course, and swinging very high. These play behaviours reflected children's noticeable desire to physically challenge themselves and extend their skills. A key element of this type of risky play involves attempting something never done before, potentially feeling on the borderline of being out of control (perhaps due to height or speed), experiencing the concurrent feelings of exhilaration and fear, and consequently overcoming fear to achieve success ⁶. In these situations, the children appeared very aware of their own skill level and competence, often increasing the risk or 'scariness' to set themselves additional challenges.

Risky play can have many different forms but ultimately it is about giving children the space to build confidence and test their capabilities on their own terms. Ellen Beate Sandseter ⁷ identified six categories of risky play, and the behaviours that distinguish each type of play:

Play with heights (where there is a risk of falling).

Play with high speed (situations involving uncontrolled speed and pace potentially leading to collision with people or objects).

Play with dangerous tools (where there is a risk of injury).

Play near dangerous elements (involving the possibility of falling into or from something).

Rough and tumble play (where children can harm each other).

Play where children can hide or be out of the sight of adults.

Later research ⁸ exploring this type of play in younger children identified further categories that reflect the play of 1-3 year old children, recognising that the equipment and environments typically provided for children of this age may result in limited exposure to the objective risk categories described above, with children mainly experiencing subjective risk. These include:

Playing with impact (children throwing themselves onto mattresses/cushions or crashing bikes into walls)

V icarious risk (where children watch others engaged in risky play)

Play with dangerous elements(sharing features of objective risk, such as height or speed, but not sufficient to cause physical injury).

In line with this, Te Wh ā riki highlights the importance for children to have the opportunity to engage in risky play including play with heights, speed, tests of strength and the use of real tools.

The unstructured, flexible, open-ended and dynamic nature of outdoor environments provides a level of unpredictability, and children's engagement with the environment inherently involves a certain element of uncertainty or risk. Through exploratory, challenging and risky play, children become familiar with their environment, its possibilities and boundaries, and with their own capabilities ⁴,9. This type of play contributes to children's emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, sense of agency and social emotional wellbeing as they deal with change and uncertainty ⁴. In outdoor play children gain confidence, they can be adventurous and daring, tackle the unknown, and learn to assess and manage risk. These are all important dispositions that support children in becoming confident and involved learners.

Through risky play, children experience a range of learning and development benefits. The physicality of many of the play experiences described by Sandseter ⁷ potentially provide opportunities for children to acquire and ultimately master a range of fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, kicking and balancing, as well as developing muscle and skeletal strength, motor fitness, and endurance. The experience of negotiating their way around their environment at speed and climbing high, for example, presents a new perspective on the world which contributes to the development of perceptual abilities including depth, shape, size, movement perception, and general spatial-orientation abilities. The experience of success and gaining mastery through engagement in challenging physical play provides children with a sense of accomplishment, which then fosters greater confidence, competence and self-esteem. This further encourages children to seek new challenges and learn new skills. The increased motor competence and confidence that children gain through these experiences are likely to contribute to physical fitness and ongoing engagement in physical activity ¹⁰.

Risky play also provides a context in which children are presented with real but managed risks that support the emergence of risk appraisal skills necessary for handling risks and dangers in other contexts. The decisions that children make and the responsibility that they take for their actions during risky play supports children in developing their autonomy, resilience and sense of agency ⁴.

Furthermore, during risky play children experience simultaneous emotions of exhilaration and fear ¹¹. Learning to deal with these emotions, as well as coping with frustrations and unexpected outcomes in the context of risky play, supports children's social emotional wellbeing and potentially has an anti-phobic effect whereby fear may be alleviated through normal habituation or coping experiences as children gain mastery in the context of risky play ¹². Adult responses to children's risky play are also important. Parenting behaviour that involves the playful encouragement of children to go beyond their own limits may decrease children's risk for anxiety ¹³.

Environments that support children's risk-taking in play

One of the factors in allowing children to take calculated risks is the physical characteristics of the outdoor environments we provide. Features and qualities of the play environment influence the nature and extent of children's risky play. Environments that promote risky play include a diverse range of both natural and manufactured affordances ¹⁴ such as:

Fixed or moveable manufactured playground equipment or natural elements in the environment such as trees, rocks or mounds that afford climbing.

Platforms, logs, trees, rocks, mounds, fixed or moveable equipment provide opportunities for jumping down from heights.

Manufactured balance beams, logs, repurposed loose parts such as pipes or timber off-cuts afford balancing.

Traditional manufactured swings or improvised tyre or rope swings attached to branches, or trees with branches of suitable height and diameter that children can grasp, afford swinging, allowing for play with both height and speed.

Slides at different gradients provide variations in the sensation of speed.

Sloping ground surfaces afford sliding, rolling, running, cycling and the sensation of speed.

Elements that give the sensation of instability such as swaying rope bridges and rope ladders offer unpredictability.

Tools - real carpentry tools such as hammers, saws, hand drills and so on

Enclosures/secluded spaces provide children with a sense of being away from the watchful eyes of adults where they can create their own private worlds.

Outdoor exploration using natural materials such as logs, tree stumps, rocks, water and found materials like old tyres and PVC pipe offer vast learning opportunities for children. For example, the inclusion of a small dry creek bed where water can be pumped through, making crossing somewhat risky with rocks of varying sizes that may be slippery when wet, allows for planning and discovery as the children negotiate their way across the creek bed. Providing pieces of lumber and wood of various sizes allow for construction - perhaps building a bridge across the water or a ramp to slide down. This provides the opportunity for children to test their designs and making necessary modifications.

There are two types of risk involved in the play described above - the natural risk of dropping a heavy object or falling off a homemade structure as well as the risk of a child's design not working as imagined. Children need both these types of risk in order to build confidence, resilience, persistence, thinking and reasoning skills ⁹.

Managing children's risk-taking in play

Riskiness is part of everyday life and is associated with potentially good but uncertain outcomes. When considering children's risky play, we need to think about it in terms of behaviours where the outcome is uncertain. It involves a consideration of the benefits against possible undesirable consequences of the behaviour, as well as the probability of success or failure.

Managing risky play should be based on taking a benefit-risk approach ¹⁵. Rather than just deciding something isn't safe, we need to look at the benefits for children's learning and development as well as the potential risks involved, and make a judgement. Whilst there may be a small risk of injury, the benefit to the child's development outweighs it. The environment is challenging but not hazardous for children, and it is important to make this distinction. This means thinking about strategies that may be needed to reduce harm and hazards and how supervision will be provided, particularly when children are engaged in high-risk activities.

Taking a benefit-risk approach to managing risk in play and promoting safety requires adults to challenge their concepts of acceptable risk, to identify why spaces or activities might be too controlling, hence limiting challenge, and to rethink risk management in terms of being hazard-aware rather than risk-averse. However, risk is subjective - a risky play situation for one child may be different from that of another, so having a sound knowledge of individual children's capabilities is essential for providing support and encouragement that allows them to take appropriate risks. Teachers need to be flexible and respond to children's risk-taking based on their knowledge of individual children and an understanding of the benefits for children's learning and development. There is a difference between providing considered risk-taking opportunities based on professional judgement and setting up experiences for the sake of creating risk. Experiences focused on the latter, which fulfil the desire of the teacher to create risk but are not focused on the individual capabilities of the children, can create unsafe situations and anxiety for a child or their family.

E mpowering children to gradually take responsibility for their own safety

Adults' tolerance of children's risk-taking is influenced by individual personality traits as well as socio-culturally constructed notions of risk and images of the child as either vulnerable or capable. Including children and families in discussions of risk and safety allows for a shared understanding of what are acceptable risks and appropriate challenges for individuals in specific contexts as well as a shared understanding of how risks are managed.

Te Whāriki acknowledges that kaiako should have conversations with children that empower them to assess risk. By including children in discussions, we help them learn to manage risk themselves. With increasing independence, children become more mindful and can take greater responsibility of their own and others' safety. For example, if children want to climb higher on the play equipment, rather than saying 'no', it is better to ask them what they think might happen if they climb higher, talk about how they need to hold on tightly or perhaps set limits on how high they can climb. Scaffolding children in this way allows children to problem solve and empowers them to learn to take responsibility for their own safety by helping them to identify and manage risks in their play as the following example demonstrates:

This scenario captures a number of key points: firstly, we can see that, in this context, children are learning to take responsibility for their own safety - there are 'rules' in place that the activity needs to be supervised and the children know they need to have an adult present. Developing 'rules' with the children is important in supporting them to have understanding of why rules might be needed and to begin to think about the consequences of particular behaviours. The hazards have also been managed by ensuring that the children know they can only climb up through the centre of the structure and not the outside. Finally, the child herself only climbs to the height at which she feels comfortable and knows support is available to climb back down if needed.

Central to children's willingness to engage in risky play and push themselves beyond their comfort zone is a conducive environment and the relationship with supportive adults. Having supportive relationships with adults enables children to gain confidence in their ability to express themselves, learn new things, work through challenges, and take calculated risks. Supporting risk and challenge outdoors requires adults to:

Have realistically high expectations of children's capabilities and make informed decisions about when to stand back or when to intervene

Develop shared understandings and expectations in relation to acceptable risks

Develop a positive disposition towards challenge and uncertainty

Develop a language to talk about risk and safety that supports children in gradually taking responsibility for their own safety

Teach children skills that help them to do things safely

The way in which risk-taking is viewed within documents such as the Position Statement on Active Play and Te Wh ā riki provides the opportunity for real changes to children's access to and benefit from a wide range of stimulating and challenging outdoor play experiences.

References

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2. Little, H.(2015). Mothers' beliefs about risk and risk-taking in children's outdoor play. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 15(1), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.842178

3. Little, H. (2017). Promoting risk-taking and physically challenging play in Australian early childhood settings in a changing regulatory environment. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(1), 83-98. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15579743

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5. Herrington, S., & Pickett, W. (2015). Position statement on active outdoor play. http://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/B.-EN-Active-Outdoor-Play-Position-Statement-FINAL-DESIGN.pdf

6. Stephenson, A. (2003). Physical risk-taking: Dangerous or endangered? Early Years, 23(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/0957514032000045573

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8. Kleppe, R., Melhuish, E. & Sandseter, E.B. (2017). Identifying and characterizing risky play in the age one-to-three years. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 25(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2017.1308163

9. Ministry of Education (2017). Te Whāriki. He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

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11. Sandseter, E.B. (2009a). Children's expressions of exhilaration and fear in risky play. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 10(2), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.2304%2Fciec.2009.10.2.92

12. Sandseter, E. B. & Kennair, L. E. (2011). Children's risky play from an evolutionary perspective: The anti-phobic effect of thrilling experiences. Evolutionary Psychology, 9(2), 257-284. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491100900212

13. Majdandžić, M., Lazarus, R., Oort, F., van der Sluis, C., Dodd, H., & Morris, T. (2018). The structure of challenging parenting behaviour and association with anxiety in Dutch and Australian children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychology, 47(2), 282-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2017.1381915

14. Sandseter, E.B. (2009b). Affordances for risky play in preschool: The importance of features in the play environment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(5), 439-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0307-2

15. Ball, D. J., Gill, T., & Spiegal, B. (2008). Managing risk in play provision: Implementation guide (2 nd ed.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://www.playengland.org.uk/media/172644/managing-risk-in-play-provision.pdf

By Dr Helen Little

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Promoting children's risky play in outdoor learning environments - THE EDUCATION HUB

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In recent years there has been growing concern about children's access to outdoor play, particularly the extent to which an over-emphasis on safety and general risk-aversion has impacted many childhood play experiences that previous generations took for granted1. Today's parents, uncertain as to how they will be perceived by others, may err on the side of caution rather than risk2.

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Tune into my Simple Families podcast on Big Body Play!

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"Big body play"―the sometimes rowdy, always very physical running, rolling, climbing, tagging, jumping, grabbing, and wrestling that most children love and many adults try to shut down―can and should be an integral part of every early childhood setting.

Drawing from evidence-based practice and the latest research, this book explains the multitude of benefits of big body play for young children's social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

Learn how to organize the physical environment, set rules and policies, and supervise the play to balance children's fundamental needs with our responsibility as teachers to keep them safe.

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Big Body Play [Carlson, Frances M.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Big Body Play

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Grounded in best practices and current research, this hands-on resource connects the dots that link brain activity, motor and sensory development, movement, and early learning. The expert authors unveil the Kinetic Scale: a visual map of the active learning needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and primary graders that fits each child's individual timetable. Teachers, parents, and caregivers will find a wealth of information, actionable tips, and games they can use to support children's healthy development--all presented in a lively, full-color format with demonstrative diagrams and photos. A final section offers easy-to-implement activities geared to the Kinetic Scale. Paperback. 336 pages.

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A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think (Birth to Age 7) (Free Spirit Professional™)

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A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think (Birth to Age 7) (Free Spirit Professional™) [Connell, Gill, McCarthy, Cheryl] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Build the body-brain connection with step-by-step activities that help children develop physical, cognitive, social, and emotional foundations for early learning and school readiness. Early childhood educators will find clear information on creating the move-to learn environment, managing safety, and optimizing the connections between language development, movement, and readiness for formal learning. An observational tool lets teachers pinpoint children's specific developmental stages and assess progress. The easy-to-follow, full-color format includes diagrams and photos along with teaching tips to advance and automate children's foundational physical capabilities while providing incremental challenge. Grounded in best practices and current research, Move, Play, and Learn with Smart Steps is both a hands-on resource for any classroom teacher, care provider, or parent and an ideal tool for coaches, mentors, and professional development trainers. Digital content includes customizable forms from the book.

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Move, Play, and Learn with Smart Steps: Sequenced Activities to Build the Body and the Brain (Birth to Age 7) (Free Spirit Professional™)

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Move, Play, and Learn with Smart Steps: Sequenced Activities to Build the Body and the Brain (Birth to Age 7) (Free Spirit Professional™) [Connell, Gill, McCarthy, Cheryl, Pirie M.H.Sc., Wendy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Great short video about Rough and tumble play IN THE EARLY YEARS 

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Great short video about Rough and tumble play IN THE EARLY YEARS 

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The Promise to Georgia’s Children – Rollins Center for Language & Literacy

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It's important for teachers to create a welcoming environment for children and families from all cultures and who speak different languages. Here are a few quick tips.

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Supporting Literacy Through Engaging Instruction & Materials

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This Young Children cluster offers a variety of practices and materials to help early childhood educators foster a love of literacy and support early reading, writing, listening, and speaking development.

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This is the literacy program endorsed by ADE

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Although this was written with kindergarteners in mind, so much of it is applicable for preschool/pre-k classrooms as well (not the embedded standards). The intent was to capture how to inspire children...so they can see themselves as an important member of a literate community, making listening, reading, writing, speaking real, relevant, and meaningful.

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Finding Time for Science: Using Informational Texts to Increase Children's Engagement Knowledge, and Literacy

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Finding Time for Science: Using Informational Texts to Increase Children's Engagement Knowledge, and Literacy

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Finding Time for Science_ Using Informational Texts to Increase Children’s Engagement, Knowledge, and Literacy _ NAEYC

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Joyful Learning with Stories: Making the Most Read Alouds

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Joyful Learning with Stories: Making the Most Read Alouds

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Joyful Learning with Stories_ Making the Most of Read Alouds _ NAEYC

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Letter Names Can Cause Confusion and Other Things to Know About Letter–Sound Relationships _ NAEYC

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Make Picture Books Count_ Effective Ways to Integrate Math and Literacy _ NAEYC

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Meaningful Talk_ The Importance of Using Sophisticated Language at Preschool _ NAEYC

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Now Read This! Supporting Positive Racial Identity with Literacy-Based Math

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Now Read This! Supporting Positive Racial Identity with Literacy-Based Math

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Now Read This! Supporting Positive Racial Identity with Literacy-Based Math _ NAEYC

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Supporting Language: Culturally Rich Dramatic Play

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Supporting Language: Culturally Rich Dramatic Play

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Supporting Language_ Culturally Rich Dramatic Play _ NAEYC

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Teaching and Learning with Hip Hop Culture

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Teaching and Learning with Hip Hop Culture

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Teaching and Learning with Hip-Hop Culture _ NAEYC

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Table Tents, Visual Reminder to help Teachers ask Open-Ended Questions

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Table Tents, Visual Reminder to help Teachers ask Open-Ended Questions

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Make sure there are relevant books, mark makers (pencils, pens, or markers) in each area with ways to capture their thoughts, ideas, documentations, reflections.

Be sure to group materials with an intended purpose. Free materials (magnifying glasses, loupes, measuring tapes, etc.) should also be available once they've been taught how to use the materials appropriately.

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Alphabet Hunt (I didn't show this in the session but great idea)

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Alphabet Hunt (I didn't show this in the session but great idea)

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Questions that Support Analysis & Reasoning

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Questions that Support Analysis & Reasoning

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Questions that Support Connections to the Real World

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Questions that Support Connections to the Real World

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Questions that Support Integration of Prior Knowledge

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Questions that Support Integration of Prior Knowledge

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Play Props to Enhance Language (it's all about the details)

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Play Props to Enhance Language (it's all about the details)

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Using Technology: Having children video interview other children describing their creations, ideas, discoveries

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Using Technology: Having children video interview other children describing their creations, ideas, discoveries

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Incorporating Literacy Throughout our Day (Wish You Well Sign)

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Incorporating Literacy Throughout our Day (Wish You Well Sign)

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Children's Creations, Words Captured by and Adult

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Children's Creations, Words Captured by and Adult

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Daily Schedule, In Pictures, At Children's Level, Displayed Left to Right

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Daily Schedule, In Pictures, At Children's Level, Displayed Left to Right

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Wait Lists for High Interest Activities/Areas

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Wait Lists for High Interest Activities/Areas

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More Classmade Books from Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle

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More Classmade Books from Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle

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Another Example of the Daily Schedule in Photos 

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Another Example of the Daily Schedule in Photos 

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Word Trees for Teachers to Use--Incorporating Sophisticated Language 

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Word Trees for Teachers to Use--Incorporating Sophisticated Language 

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Relevant Books That Support Deep Project Work

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Relevant Books That Support Deep Project Work

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Small Group Discussions Where Teachers Capture Children's Ideas

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Small Group Discussions Where Teachers Capture Children's Ideas

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I see (I'd change to Notice), I think, I wonder....

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I see (I'd change to Notice), I think, I wonder....