Outdoor play is a basic childhood need and taking risks is a necessary part of play. Whether jumping in a pile of leaves, climbing a tree, or playing street hockey, children are often happiest when playing. These kinds of experiences are a lot less common for kids today. Our worries and desire to protect our kids can result in setting too many limits on them, which can interfere with healthy development. Risky play can have many different shapes, but always involves the thrill and excitement of testing yourself and finding out what happens. These are some of the ways that children engage in risky play.
Outdoor play is different from indoor play as it tends to involve children feeling more freedom, being more physically active, moving their bodies in different ways, and playing differently than they would inside. The outdoors can offer more variety of play environments and loose parts (e.g., sticks, rocks, buckets, sand, crates) to move around, allowing their imagination to shape their play. Children need daily outdoor play opportunities for their development, physical health, and well-being.
You will be guided through a journey that is split into 3 different chapters - each with its unique interactivity. Each one can be done independently so you don't have to do the entire journey in one sitting. Think about your approach to risky play and whether there’s anything you want to change. We’ll give you some tools to help you decide and develop a personalized plan to help you make changes.
Outdoor play is different from indoor play as it tends to involve children feeling more freedom, being more physically active, moving their bodies in different ways, and playing differently than they would inside. The outdoors can offer more variety of play environments and loose parts (e.g., sticks, rocks, buckets, sand, crates) to move around, allowing their imagination to shape their play. Children need daily outdoor play opportunities for their development, physical health, and well-being.
Go to Parent Tool
All the Parent Tool workshop materials are now available for download, making it simple to run your own session. Come together with fellow parents and caregivers for a fun, in-person workshop where you can connect, share experiences, and dive into meaningful discussions.
