Managers Tool 5 Thinking about risk and challenge in play Risk normally means the possibility of something bad happening like a child getting hurt but some manageable risk is good for children. Children actively seek out challenge and adventure when they play, sometimes with elements of genuinely risky play within it. For example, when a child is balancing along a wall they could fall and be hurt but they are also practising balancing, are active, feeling proud of themselves and having fun. We should approach managing risk and challenge in play by looking at the balance of risk with the benefits to the children in terms of physical and emotional wellbeing and development. In adventurous, challenging and risky play children may be gaining benefits such as:
• Physical skills • Ability to assess risks for themselves • Testing their own abilities • Mastery • Building confidence
• Building resilience and problem solving skills • Experiencing a range of emotions such as
thrills, exhilaration, fun, fear, pride, comradery
• Care for others, keeping them safe and awareness of own safety.
There is a difference between the everyday behaviour of children seeking out challenges in their play and children being forced, due to their situation, to play in hazardous, harmful conditions. In situations of crisis, where children may be playing in hazardous environments, having access to play opportunities supported by adults can help to keep children safe. Many children play in highly hazardous environments daily (for example, near unsafe buildings, deep water, open sewers, busy roads or train tracks). These require long term solutions. Children still need to play in the meantime and will use the spaces available to them, often very creatively. Although the places children choose to play may not seem ideal, it is important to respect why they have made these choices in the circumstances they are in. Creating spaces as alternatives for children in the short or medium term can:
• give them the opportunity to experience types of play they might not be able to access otherwise (for example play that is more reflective, more inclusive, can go on for longer without interruption, which brings in a wider range of resources or perspectives, which feels safer)
• help them to develop a wider range of skills and abilities • help them to develop their resilience – coping strategies, problem solving, ability to manage difficult experiences (and perhaps replace unhelpful strategies with more positive ones).
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