Risky Play
- Apr 7, 2021
- 2 min read
A quick google search will help you see all the benefits of risky play as observed by experts.
I am not here to add to the (much wiser) voices of those experts, but to just share our experience.
Risky play is something I am (maybe overly) comfortable with as a mom... but that is due to having grown up in a dreamland of risky play.
When I was little, summer was spent outside from breakfast until dinner. There was no adult intervention, only countless hours of bike riding, tree climbing, and fort building chaos. Did we get hurt? Yes, often. Did we learn? Yes, quickly.
To this day I look back on that time with deep joy and gratitude. I learned how to assess risk, argue with friends, imagine whole worlds, and most of all, be comfortable with boredom.
My husband and I often talk about how much life has changed for this upcoming generation. The consequences of constant entertainment and sedentary living are yet to be fully seen. The tragedy to me is that when we drive around in the summer, yards are like ghost towns and kids are not often seen outside.
Maybe its due to (unwarranted & sensationalized) media portraying a message of fear about letting kids outside, or due to the ease of allowing constant entertainment.
In just 6 short years we have watched Norah go from a toddler exploring with sensory bins and leading the way on hikes, to a big kid fearlessly climbing trees, making her own food, sewing, and crafting with hot glue guns. Watching her take on new experiences is a joy that I credit to young risk play.
Where to start?
Embrace mess.
Let your baby feed themselves. Let them get covered with food. Let them squish their food to bits.
Let your toddler wander around outside (with your supervision) and stop yourself from saving them from all the things you know are going to happen (within reason).
Let your kid make their own lunches and make a mess in the process.
Let them climb, but only what they can climb on their own. We have a rule that "I cannot help you get up, because I wont help you get down" (It helps them find their own limits safely)
Let them use (age appropriate) tools/machines once they have watched you and listened to your directions.
Let them be kids.
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