Risky play gives children a feeling of thrill and excitement. Risk is an essential component of a balanced childhood. Exposure to healthy risks, particularly physical, enables children to experience fear, and learn the strengths and limitations of their own body.
For this generation of children, always from scheduled soft play, to school, to club, to sofa, we've got a lot of work to do. As parents, many of us are unused to allowing even the tiniest degree of danger to enter the lives of our children. Surely it's the job of a good parent to keep them safe. That's why roaming-distance—how far children play from home—has decreased by 90% in the past 30 years. We are a nation of stubborn helicopter parents managing a schedule of activities and waiting below our children on the monkey bars in case they should slip. It's no wonder that the virtual risk of computer games is so appealing and addictive-—the real world seems rather mild in comparison.
So how can we put some of that danger and excitement back into the lives of our children?
The answer is step by step and in an age appropriate way. First, the outdoors is key. Outdoors time every day is essential, and don't just head to the neat and controlled environment of the play area.
Permit your primary-age children to leave your sight. Risky sports are a reasonably controlled way to allow your children to feel fear. Horse riding or skiing might be expensive, but what about skateboarding, tree-climbing or rock-climbing? Your child could fall at some stage, and they will probably feel out of control一but wow, they'll feel alive. Water, too, is essential healthy risk. Let them climb in streams, slide in mud and fall over in the sea wearing all their clothes. Your job as an adult is to manage the risk.
