How about a risky play? Investigation of risk levels desired by children and perceived mother monitoring

An exploration of outdoor play and wellbeing in Northern Irish primary schools

“…In terms of agreement with other findings in the field, this research project highlighted the capacity of the playground environment to shape the behaviours which emerge within it, specifically in terms of environmental features, layout, and gendered play (Blaes, 2013;Hyndman and Chancellor, 2017;LaForett and Mendez, 2017;Mulryan-Kyne, 2014;Powell et al, 2016). Findings agreed that children generally prefer outdoor play and are drawn to play with elements of risk and challenge (Brussoni et al, 2015;Glenn et al, 2011;Gray et al, 2015;Little et al, 2011;Sandseter, 2011;Tremblay et al, 2015;Yurt and Keles, 2019), but found that these preferences are often not reflected in the play space (Aziz and Said, 2015;Pearson and Howe, 2017).…”

“…Research shows that children exhibit different tolerances for risk in different situations, and they are able to monitor their own play in order to experiment with the ambiguous boundaries between fear and excitement (Sandseter, 2010;Yurt and Keles, 2019). Nonetheless, safety rules and regulations and cultural attitudes have been identified as having a detrimental impact on the quality of the play experience in the outdoor setting, creating tension between adult beliefs about the benefits of risky play and its provision in practice (Little et al, 2011;Sandseter et al, 2020).…”

“…This is because play takes place in the shadow of the Risk Society (Beck, 1992), as outlined in Chapter 4, which serves as a driving force behind the structure and management of contemporary school playgrounds, creating spaces where children may in fact be too safe for their own good (Ungar, 2009). Recent research firmly positions outdoor play as a developmental need of childhood, including its associated risks, with children naturally drawn to play which contains elements of risk and challenge (Brussoni et al, 2012;Gray et al, 2015;Little et al, 2011;Sandseter, 2009;Tremblay et al, 2015;Yurt and Keles, 2019). Teachers and parents meanwhile understand the developmental benefits of risky play, but this often does not translate into the policy environment.…”

Development of Teacher Rating Scale of Risky Play for 3- to 6-Year-Old Pre-Schoolers in Anji Play Kindergartens of East China

“…Yurt and Keleş provided young children with three levels of cartoons on risky play based on Sandseter’s study. The cartoons were themed sitting on a branch (play with great heights), swinging (play with high speed), playing near a fire (play near dangerous elements), using scissors (using dangerous tools), and the plays of each theme have three levels for children to choose to measure children’s preference for the level of risky play [ 32 ].…”

“…This study aimed to develop a Teacher Rating Scale of Risky Play (TRSRP) for 3–6 year pre-schoolers in the context of Chinese culture. Based on the literature review, the existing measurements for risky play, including the categories and subcategories of risky play [ 29 ], categories of risk-taking behaviour [ 31 ], and the children’s risk preferences/the level of risk preferred by children [ 32 ], are all based on western culture. However, China’s cultural context and educational environment are quite different from that of the West.…”