By Yixuan Zhu, Fanshawe College, Early Childhood Leadership. Yixuan wrote this during her Parents2Partners internship, where she worked to help children and families from every cultural background feel a sense of belonging.
Children are naturally curious and adventurous. Risky play, meaning play with some uncertainty, challenge, or chance of a minor bump, can do a great deal for their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Here is how parents and caregivers can guide it safely.
What is risky play?
Risky play includes climbing trees, using playground equipment, balancing on raised surfaces, riding bikes, exploring nature, and active games. “Risky” does not mean reckless. It means a controlled level of challenge, with sensible safety measures and supervision, that lets children test their limits and build skills like risk assessment, problem solving, decision making, and resilience.
Why it matters
Risky play builds coordination, balance, spatial awareness, creativity, social skills, and emotional resilience. Children gain a sense of mastery, learn from mistakes, and grow confident in their abilities.
How to guide risky play
- Create a safe environment. Check the play area for hazards, use helmets or pads when needed, and supervise, especially when a child tries something new.
- Progress gradually. Match the challenge to the child’s age, ability, and confidence. A young child might master a low climbing frame before moving to a taller one.
- Build risk assessment skills. Ask open questions like “What do you think could happen if you climb that tree?” or “How could you make this safer?”
- Keep communication open. Let children share fears and concerns without judgment so they feel supported.
- Be a positive role model. Show safe practices, calm confidence, and resilience yourself.
- Encourage and praise effort. Setbacks and frustration are part of learning. Praise effort, not only outcomes.
Balance safety and challenge
The goal is not to remove every risk but to help children assess and manage it. With the right balance, children grow into confident, curious, resilient explorers.