After Reading the Article “Healthy childhood development through outdoor risky play: Navigating the balance with injury prevention.” (Click HERE to read) I decided to reflect on how we can implement this into schools and why it is important and connects with the BC curriculum.

Outdoor risky play, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), strongly aligns with the goals of the BC curriculum, which emphasizes holistic, experiential, and student centered learning. The BC curriculum focuses on developing the “whole child,” including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive competencies. Risky play supports these areas by encouraging students to explore, problem solve, and build confidence through real world experiences. For example, when students engage in unstructured outdoor play, they develop critical thinking and self regulation skills that are both key components of BC’s Core Competencies.

Why Is It Important?

Risky play is important because it contributes significantly to children’s overall development. The CPS states that free and risky play supports physical, mental, and social-emotional health, while also helping to prevent issues such as anxiety, obesity, and behavioural challenges. Through activities like climbing, exploring, or rough-and-tumble play, students learn to assess risk, make decisions, and build resilience. Importantly, risky play distinguishes between “risk” and “hazard,” meaning children are encouraged to take manageable risks while adults remove serious dangers. This process helps students develop independence and confidence, which are essential for lifelong learning.

Implementing risky play in a classroom requires a balanced and intentional approach. As a future educator, I could begin by creating outdoor learning opportunities that include natural materials such as logs, rocks, or loose parts, allowing for open ended exploration. Incorporating regular outdoor time into the schedule, such as nature walks or outdoor inquiry activities, aligns with the curriculums emphasis on place-based learning. Educators should also shift their role from direct supervision to guided observation, where we only step in when necessary and encourage students to problem solve independently. This also relates to our experience in class of learning through play with puzzles and soft starts! It is important to use the correct language to promotes confidence rather than fear. We can do this by asking guiding questions instead of saying “be careful”.

UVic Teacher Competency:

I am relating this article and the words to UVic Teacher competency #5: practise effective communication appropriate to the context and audience, enabling responsiveness to diversities of learners. Students/children will learn how to communicate with adults, peers, and others through play. Parents/teachers/adults can learn how to communicate and teach the children with an open minded and good intentioned background.

Reflection:

I believe that risky play is so important and is an invaluable educational tool that helps promote independence, resilience, and meaningful, experiential learning. Children learn the most when they play and by taking a step back and observing students play, you can get to know them way quicker and better than without it. My goal as a teacher is to allow students to find out how to play and learn through reflection and experience rather than instruction and guidelines when applicable, while always keeping the students safe and comfortable by not pushing them to do anything but to allow and invite them to step out of their comfort zone.