RISKY PLAY IN

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
MEGAN MACFADYEN
 So, what is risky play? Sandseter (2009) defined risky play as,
“thrilling and exciting forms of play that involve a risk of physical
injury.” This is to say that whilst playing, children are able to
explore and navigate however they wish, which may or may not
lead to injury.

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So, why is risky play important? It is important because it leads
children not only to learn through trial and error—learning from
their mistakes—but it also allows them to gain more body
awareness, which is imperative to their physical development.

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 In the Alberta Program of Studies, the outcomes state that
students will work on both their locomotor and nonlocomotor
skills, as well as working on the application of these skills in
alternate environments. To summarize, students will work on their
body awareness and coordination, and they will be doing so in a
variety of different settings.

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So, why are we so hesitant to incorporate risky play into schools?
One of the answers is very clear: Helicopter parents.

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 What are helicopter parents, you ask? First termed in 1969, a
helicopter parent is defined in the dictionary as, “a parent who is
overly involved in the life of his or her child.” (Rhodes, 2019) In this
context, it would involve parents intervening anytime their child
looks mindly unsafe.

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 The influence of helicopter parents on activities that are
conducted in school settings is capable of hindering the
development of their children, all in the hopes of keeping their
children safe from potential dangers. The thoughts of these kinds
of parents going to the school about their concerns is a very
strong, very real possibility.

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Furthermore, something that seems to be widely discredited is the
positive benefits, as well as the personal growth and development,
that occurs from simply learning from one’s mistakes. The ability
to bounce back from making a mistake and go through a trial and
error process will help immensely as children grow; a sign of
increasing resilience and growth mindset.

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 While it is understandable coming from the perspective of a
parent wanting to keep their child safe, ParticipACTION worker
Katherine Janson has a message as to why risky play is essential...

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 “There are a whole bunch of scientific theories about why risk is
essential—it played an evolutionary role in teaching kids how to
regulate emotions like fear and anger...Letting your kids engage in
risk is not about being daring or dangerous at all—it’s about letting
your kids test their own limits in reasonable ways.” (Janson, 2015)

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 Grove (2019), mentions the ways in which children can engage in
risky play: “play at great heights, play at high speed, play with
dangerous tools, play near dangerous elements, rough-and-tumble
play, and play where there’s a chance of getting lost or
disappearing.”

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 Gray (2014) suggests that the best way to incorporate risky play is
by allowing children to self-direct, saying that, “children know how
to dose themselves with just the right amount of fear...and for that
they must be in charge of their own play.”

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 It is evident that the incorporation of risky play has a loose
Developmental Stage Theory approach to the Physical Education
outcomes in the Program of Studies, and while developmental
progressions differ from student to student, it is important to have
an idea as to how you as a teacher can guide students while they
navigate their world as they grow and learn.

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 In gym class, this may take the form of: letting students have free
reign over the equipment room, allowing them to make up games,
or simply having gym class outside so students can have a diverse
setting to play while you supervise.

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A way teachers can best tackle this concept is to have student-lead
free time. This would take the form of teachers acting as a
facilitator of experiential knowledge; reflecting a more Humanistic
approach to teaching. This allows students to test their physical
limits to the point where they’re comfortable while still
challenging themselves.

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 LINKS
(citations)

https://doi.org/10.1080/14729670802702762
http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=328056#560814
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2019/04/26/helicopter-parents/
https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/why-risky-play-is-good-for-your-kids
https://activeforlife.com/six-types-of-risky-play/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/freedom-learn/201404/risky-play-why-children-love-it-and-ne
ed-it
https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2017/8/10-1
https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-humanistic-learning-theory-education2007.html#:~:text=Humanistic%2
0teachers%20believe%20that%20knowledge,A%20safe%20learning%20environment.

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 LINKS
(images)

https://www.clipartkey.com/view/bxoowi_games-clipart-risk-risk-taker-clipart-png/
https://childhoodbynature.com/the-guarantees-of-risky-play/
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/longer-recess-stronger-child-development-angela-hanscom
https://education.alberta.ca/media/464719/physedi.pdf
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2019/04/26/helicopter-parents/
https://stream.org/helicopter-parents-at-church/
https://yourteenmag.com/family-life/communication/helicopter-moments-parents
https://leecaraher.com/mistakes-important-learn-success/
https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/why-risky-play-is-good-for-your-kids
https://www.weareteachers.com/emotional-regulation/
https://playvolutionhq.com/forms/tag/risky-play/
http://www.bubblesacademy.com/healthy-risk-taking-in-outdoor-play/
https://listen.sdpb.org/post/boost-attendance-milwuakee-schools-revive-art-music-and-gym
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180108/lake-villa-pe-teacher-focuses-on-positivity
https://www.wisdompills.com/risky-play-is-good-for-your-children-new-study-reveals/

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