Risky Play and Children's Safety
Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development
The Importance of Free Play
Children are able to follow rules , control emotions ,and develop and maintain peer relationships. Children also have report being happy when at play.Two classes include 21% of free play and child initiated activity as their major component. Direct instruction of academic skills are allowed only 2%.
Furthermore findings underline free play is more fundamental to a healthy child's development. In children their brain areas house regulatory skills which will help control impulsive urges and promote self-reflection ,creativity and empathy. Children are able to develop their motor fitness and abilities, environmental awareness as well as promoting creativity.
Support for Outdoor Risky Play
A study of Australian children 48 to 64 months collected observational and interview data that 38 children provided with a choice that 74% of participants preferred to play on more challenging playground equipment. They may have found a correlation between children's willingness to engage in risk taking behaviors and actual risk taking behaviors. Support concerns that absence of opportunities for outdoor risky play will result in children disengaging from physical activity.Research suggests if children perceive they are not obtaining challenging and interesting risky play opportunities in public areas ,but tend to seek these opportunities elsewhere.
Children aged 11 to 14 years in a deprive area indicate that over 40% regularly visited and played in wastelands, building sites,underpasses rivers,abandoned buildings and quarries. Those children also are more likely to have sustained an injury in the previous month.
Safety and Managed Risks
Children learn risk management strategies for themselves and their peers as a result of of risky play experiences. Observational studies say children at play found they expose themselves to risk but display clear strategies for mitigating harm. Children are aware of potential dangers and adjusted activities accordingly. Children develop risks and experiences not only to develop understanding of their own constitutions and skills,but also of playmates.
Children's engagement in risky play has adaptive fear of heights. Naturally and progressively exposing them selves to stimuli. Sufficiently risky play opportunities ,they will not experience their ability to cope with fear including situations. Children will maintain their fear, with will translate anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder are the most prevalent mental disorder in children and adolescents, and parental over protection has been associated with increased rates.