Risky Play and What to Say Instead of 'Be Careful'!
Raising Wildlings · Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell
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Show Notes
Has your child ever done something that has made you gasp and want to cover your eyes? Early climbers climbing out of their high chair, children scaling trees so high you can barely spot them or swimming beyond their depth, or teens wrestling like they’re in a WWF match? Good! We hope you may find some relief in the fact that your child is doing EXACTLY what they are designed to do! Take risks! And that is exactly what we’re going to be talking about - Risky Play. What it is, the 6 types of risky play, why children seek out risk, why it’s important and how to incorporate it into your outdoor play.
👉 Our Discussion
- What is risky play?
- Benefits of Risky Play
- The 6 Types of Risky Play
- Play at heights
- Play at high speed
- Play with dangerous tools
- Play with dangerous elements – fire, water, animals
- Rough and tumble
- Play in secret spaces
- What is the purpose of risky play?
- Risk is not necessarily a danger to be avoided but rather a skill that needs to be managed.
- How can help your child manage risky play?
- What can you say instead of ’Be Careful!’
- In a nutshell, we want our children to be as safe as necessary not a safe as possible.
‘A ship is safe in the harbour - but that is not what ships are built for…’
👉 Freebie
To download the Risky Play cheat sheet, simply click here.
👉 Links and Resources
- E1. Freedom to Learn with Peter Gray
- Categories of Risky Play by Ellen Sandseter, 2007
👉 Guest Details
Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell are adventurous nature play makers, risk-takers, children’s rights advocates and the co-founders of Wildlings Forest School. We are the hosts of the ‘Raising Wildlings’ podcast and we put the dirt back in childhood.
During any Wildlings Forest School program, you are likely to find Wildlings up trees, sliding down mud slides, whittling with pocket knives, lighting fires and building rafts. We let kids, be kids - because children can’t learn to protect nature if they’ve never had a childhood in it.
👉 Wildlings Forest School Contact Details
Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.
If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for
You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.