Risk vs Hazard: The Value of Risk in Playtime For Children
Understanding Risk Vs. Hazards and the Benefits of Risk Play
Over the years, children’s playtime has become increasingly monitored and controlled in an attempt to eliminate possible accidents. While this may stem from good intentions, micromanaging the child’s playtime can rob them of essential learning opportunities!
What is Risk Play?
We are NOT talking about exposing the child to potential harm or dangerous situations. Instead, Risk Play is simply allowing the child to experience playtime freely while directing their own activities. This method of play allows the child to manage themselves while making the decision to face unfamiliar situations – or risks – on their own.
Understanding Valuable Risks vs. Hazards
Playtime is encouraged that allows children to self manage the risks they take, while the adults manage and eliminate the hazards. The definitions and example below will outline what we mean by ‘risk’ and the difference between ‘risk’ and ‘hazard’.
Risk vs. Hazard
• Risk: is a challenge or uncertainty that a child can recognize in their environment and determine whether to engage with it or not.
• Hazard: is a danger in the environment that is beyond the child’s understanding and can result in severe injury or endangerment.
For example, consider a child learning to roller skate. The child understands they risk falling down while becoming comfortable on skates, but they chose to take the risk in order to learn their new skill. The hazard in this scenario is in the unknown amount of damage that could occur if they hit their head when they do fall down. It is your duty as the adult to manage the hazard – like providing a helmet for the child’s safety – while the child manages the risks while playing.
The Value of Risk Play in Early Childhood Development
Children naturally take risks every day while exploring the world around them and experimenting with their own limits. This is a healthy part of early childhood development that provides new experiences and learning opportunities for young ones. Valuable risks actually play a positive role in the development of long term life skills for children.
Life Skills That Risk Play Helps Develop in Early Childhood:
• Awareness of their capabilities – and how to improve them
• Assessing situations and making better judgments
• Introduction to the idea of consequences to their actions
• Developing better coordination and dexterity
• Learning to use tools with a purpose
• Resourcefulness and creativity
• Confidence and independence
Learning to Identify Valuable Risks in Children’s Play
Every child is unique and will have their own limits. One child’s idea of a risky situation might be something other children see as easy. It is just as important to allow the child to explore new situations as it is to never force the child to do anything that makes them feel unsafe or challenges their comfort.
You can learn to identify valuable risks in the children’s playtime by observing them and determining their need for more support or greater challenges.
How to Begin to Assessing the Value of Risks:
• How likely is something to cause harm during the activity?
• How severe would the harm be?
• What are the benefits of the activity?
• Is the child having fun? Or are they scared?
Managing Hazards During Risk Play
Risky play does not mean leaving the child unattended to fend for themselves. As an adult, it will always be your duty to care for the child’s wellbeing and eliminate hazards. Know the children, give them the freedom they can handle, and don’t let your own fears get in the way.
How to Start Valuable Risk Play within the setting.
Remove the hazards: sharp edges, fragile items, choking hazards, access to dangerous areas
• Start letting the children play alone or with other children unsupervised
• Ensure the children have enough space in play in freely and unconfined
• Allow the kids to make a mess
• Limit your interaction with them to allow free play and self-direction
• Introduce them to new tools and when to use them