On Wednesday at The Nook we were treated to an informal talk by Rachel Ramsden of the Play Outside UBC Lab (formerly Brussoni Lab). She will be joining us again on Feb. 16th for a more in depth workshop on Supporting Outdoor and Risky Play in Young Children.

As part of her discussion, Rachel outlined the 8 types of risky play that children might engage in:

1. Play at Speed - running down a hill, riding fast on a bike
2. Play at Heights - in a tree, on a playground
3. Play with Dangerous Tools - power tools, toy swords
4. Play with Impact - jumping off something, jumping on a bed
5. Vicarious Play - watching other children engage in risky play
6. Play with a chance of being lost - walking to school by themselves, being outside while parents are inside
7. Play with Dangerous Elements - on concrete, near a body of water
8. Rough and Tumble Play - play which has contact, wrestling, play fighting

Research is clear on the importance of regular and repeated access to outdoor risky play. Despite the known benefits of outdoor play, children in North America are spending less time outdoors. In addition, children’s play experiences have become more monitored and controlled. This session will help you build the case about the need for outdoor risky play in your experiences with children, whether as an educator, parent, or family member. Learn the key concepts that support outdoor risky play and how you can begin to incorporate these into your outdoor experiences with children. This workshop will highlight examples from the field, outline how to identify a hazard from a risk, and showcase recent research from the Play Outside UBC Lab. This session will also make available the resources and tools to help you get started in your role supporting young children’s participation in outdoor risky play.

Check out our Events page for more details

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