RISKY PLAY IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Risky play can be defined as thrilling and exciting forms of children’s play that involve a risk of harm. Risky play is natural during children’s play, and taking risks is an important and necessary part of outdoor play. Outdoor environments provide an excellent opportunity for children to be more physically active and less sedentary, which is important for their development and health. Additionally, outdoor spaces afford some risk of physical injury, and the risks of playing outdoor provide unique opportunities for physical, cognitive, and social development. During risky play, children experience increasing challenges and perceive opportunities for action or affordances for different elements. This chapter explores the concept of risky play and its categorization, the emotions and feelings experienced by children when engaging in risky play, the affordances and perception of affordances for risky play, and risky play and children’s safety.