3 ingredients that support children’s risky outdoor play 

Risky outdoor play has many benefits for children—and the research backing this up continues to pour in. A new study by researchers from the University of British Columbia and Norway’s Queen Maud University College has found that kids who take more risks on the playground make safe decisions more quickly when crossing a busy street. 

The study put 424 children, ages seven to 11, from Norway and Canada through two virtual-reality simulations that they experienced through a headset while moving around a gymnasium. 

In one of the simulations, children explored a virtual balancing structure with different height levels. In the other, they had to decide when it was safe to cross a street with oncoming traffic. The researchers focused on how willing each child was to take risks during play, then analyzed at how those same children performed when the stakes were higher.

Their findings are fascinating: Children who were more bold—moving faster, spending more time on the higher sections, venturing onto tricky pillars—in the playground simulation more quickly and efficiently decided when to cross the street. Their playground decisions didn’t translate into dangerous choices on the street, but rather they were faster at reading the situation and deciding what to do. 

Dr. Mariana Brussoni, one of the co-authors, is a UBC professor, director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, and researcher at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. She’s also an expert on kids’ risky play. 

“Keeping children safe means letting them take risks,” she said in UBC’s news release about the study. “This risky play is a fundamental way that children learn about the world, about themselves and how to keep themselves safe in diverse situations.”

Another interesting finding: The kids who took more risks during play fell more often in the virtual playground, suggesting that falling and trying again teaches kids what they’re capable of and what their limits are. These lessons can carry over into other situations in life.

3 simple ways parents & caregivers can support risky outdoor play 

It’s easy, says Brussoni. Give your child a bit more time, space, and freedom. How exactly can parents and caregivers offer more access to these things? 

• Time: Carve out unstructured time for your child every day
• Space: Find interesting places your child can play with other kids 
• Freedom: Step back and actually let your child play 

Brussoni offers a helpful 17-second rule: As your child plays, count to 17 before you intervene in an activity you think might be risky. That’s just long enough to slow down your thinking so you don’t act on your immediate fear or worry. During those 17 seconds, you can assess whether the play is as dangerous as you initially thought, notice whether your child is handling the situation well, and appreciate the benefits they get some figuring things out on their own.

Here are some outdoor play resources for parents, caregivers, and educators: 

• Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore, Learn, and Grow, written by Brussoni and Megan Zeni
• Printable: How to be a lifeguard parent
• Podcast: Dr. Mariana Brussoni on the value of risky play
• Printable: Movement guidelines printable 
• Printable: Tips for letting kids play more freely
• Printable: Benefits of outdoor play
• Printable: How to dress kids on sunny, rainy, and cold days 
• Printable: Outdoor play & learning kit for educators