Outdoor risky play

Playing outdoors offers rich play opportunities and has unique characteristics less apparent in indoor play, including taking physical risks. Risky play occurs when children intentionally seek exhilarating and scary physical play situations that allow them to gain mastery over their fears. Opportunities for outdoor risky play have been severely curtailed in recent generations. As research mounts on the importance of risky play for children’s health, development and well-being, there is increasing recognition regarding the need for action to create supportive environments for play. This chapter reviews the literature on the importance of risky play. It then presents the three key ingredients for outdoor risky play supportive environments – time, space and freedom – and suggests practice and policy necessary to implement sustained and meaningful change.