Why Risky Play Matters: Supporting Healthy Childhood Development
What is Risky Play?
Thinking back to your childhood, can you recall moments of freedom, excitement, and exploration—climbing high, running fast, getting messy, and sometimes getting hurt? These experiences are now described in research as risky play, and we are starting to realize just how important risky play is to childhood development.
For many of us, these memories include both joy and discomfort: laughter and fun mixed with scraped knees, bruises, or even the occasional broken bone. I broke my ankle in first grade after slipping on tan bark while chasing a classmate across the playground. When I think back on that day, I’m not upset about the injury—I’m only disappointed that I didn’t catch him.
Risky play is a form of play that involves uncertainty, challenge, and a possibility of physical injury. Researcher Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter (2007) identified six categories:
Play at great heights
Play at high speeds
Play with potentially harmful tools
Play near dangerous elements (e.g., water, fire)
Rough-and-tumble play
Play where children can disappear or get lost
Later research expanded this framework to include two additional forms (Kleppe et al., 2017):
Play with impact (e.g., crashing, falling)
Vicarious risky play (e.g., observing others take risks)
It’s worth noting that terms like “harmful” and “dangerous” have sparked important conversations. Language matters, and how we frame these experiences influences how adults perceive and respond to children’s play.
These are the kinds of experiences that help children learn not just about the world—but about themselves.
It’s important to remember that the goal is not harm. The goal is engagement with manageable risk, which supports learning and growth.
Why Are We Seeing Less of It?
In today’s parenting culture, there is often a strong emphasis on protection and prevention. These are both very important elements in the role of parenting. The question is: how much is too much? Terms like helicopter parenting or snowplow parenting reflect a well-intentioned desire to keep children safe by closely monitoring or removing obstacles from their path.
While safety is essential, reducing all forms of risk may unintentionally limit opportunities for children to develop confidence, resilience, and independence.
Thinking back to your childhood again-- do you wish you had been more protected as a child? Or do you wish you had been given even more opportunities to explore?
The Benefits of Risky Play
Research shows that risky play supports multiple areas of development:
Cognitive Development
Children engaged in risky play demonstrate:
Stronger executive functioning skills
Improved problem-solving abilities
Better decision-making and risk assessment
Increased adaptability and resilience
Social Development
Risky play often involves collaboration and negotiation, leading to:
Improved communication skills
Stronger friendships
Greater cooperation
Enhanced conflict resolution
Emotional Well-Being
Children who regularly engage in appropriately challenging play tend to experience:
Increased self-confidence
Higher self-esteem
Reduced anxiety
Greater emotional regulation
Physical Development
Risky play supports:
Strength and muscle development
Balance and coordination
Fine and gross motor skills
Overall physical health
Taken together, these benefits highlight something important: children don’t develop confidence by avoiding risk—they develop it by navigating risk.
How to Support Risky Play (Without Compromising Safety)
For many parents and caregivers, the question becomes: How do I allow risk while still keeping my child safe?
Here are six supportive, practical strategies:
1. Let Your Child Lead
Children are naturally motivated to explore and challenge themselves. Allow them to approach new experiences at their own pace. Avoid pushing or forcing participation.
2. Shift Away from “Be Careful”
Phrases like “be careful” are often too vague to be helpful and can sometimes startle children.
Instead, try reflective language:
“Do you feel steady up there?”
“What’s your plan for getting down?”
“What do you notice about that surface?”
This helps children build awareness and internal decision-making skills.
3. Start Small and Build Gradually
Confidence develops over time. Begin with smaller challenges and allow skills to build naturally. Even watching others engage in risky play (vicarious play) can help children learn and prepare.
4. Focus on Hazards vs. Risk
A helpful distinction:
Risk is visible and manageable (e.g., climbing a tree)
Hazard is hidden and potentially dangerous (e.g., a broken branch)
Adults can support development by removing hazards while allowing appropriate risk.
5. Allow Time for Exploration
Risky play takes time. Children need opportunities to test limits, make adjustments, and try again. Whenever possible, avoid interrupting the process unless safety is truly at risk.
6. Remember That Safety Is a Feeling
Both children and adults need to feel safe.
If a child feels overwhelmed, they may withdraw. If an adult feels too anxious, they may intervene too quickly. Finding a balance between physical safety and emotional comfort for both children and adults is key.
Final Thoughts
Risky play is not about encouraging children to get hurt. It is about giving them opportunities to build confidence, develop judgment, and experience mastery.
As caregivers, our role is not to eliminate all risk or even every hazard—but to thoughtfully scaffold and support children as they learn how to navigate it.
In doing so, we help them grow into individuals who are not only safer—but also stronger, more capable, and more resilient.
References
Keeler, R. (2020). Adventures in risky play: What is your yes? Exchange press.
Kleppe, R., Melhuish, E., & Sandseter, E. B. H. (2017). Identifying and characterizing
risky play in the age one-to-three years. European Early Childhood Education
Research Journal, 25(3), 370–385. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2017.1308163
Sandseter, E. B. H. (2007). Categorising risky play—How can we identify risk-taking
in children’s play? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 15(2), 237–
252. https://doi.org/10.1080/13502930701321733
Sills, Z., & Watkins, S. (2025). The power of risky play in the early years. Sage
Zeni, M., & Brussoni, M. (2026). Embracing risky play at school. Teachers College Press.
