A natural part of children’s physically active play involves engaging in play that is a bit scary and somewhat risky (i.e., risky play). Children actively seek this thrilling kind of play, and nearly all children love the quivering feeling of butterflies in their tummy when they encounter something they do not know if they can manage or what the consequences of their actions will be.
This presentation will focus on what risky play is, and why it is important for children’s experiences, development, and learning. Through risky play, children build self-confidence, physical/motor competence, social skills, psychological resilience, and risk management skills. Nevertheless, within an increasingly safety-focused society, our desire to protect children has invaded their daily lives. The presentation will also discuss how this has resulted in a culture of caution among educators, teachers, and parents, as well as restrictive rules and laws on children’s play environments.
About Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter
Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter is Professor at the Department of Physical Education and Health at Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Trondheim, Norway.
Her primary research focus is on children’s physical play, outdoor play, and risky/thrilling play among children in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions, as well as how to develop physical environments for children’s play, development, and learning. She is also involved in research on Norwegian children’s experiences of participation and well-being in Norwegian ECEC institutions, and projects about safety work, child injuries and injury prevention in ECEC.
Currently, she is the project manager of a project exploring the effects of childhood risk experiences on children’s risk assessment and risk management skills using Virtual Reality (VR) technology as well as eye-tracking and motion capturing.