RISKY PLAY – Bringing risk to education

In this short article, we will share information and resources that will support you in implementing risky play in your educational programs.

Risky play has been shown to offer profound developmental and educational benefits. According to research by Sandseter (2007), risky play supports children’s ability to assess danger, build resilience, and develop confidence in their own judgment. Engaging in risk helps learners calibrate fear, push through hesitation, and gain a realistic sense of their physical and emotional boundaries.

A 2015 systematic review by Brussoni et al. found that children who engage in outdoor risky play have increased physical activity levels, better social skills, and fewer signs of anxiety. In educational settings, controlled exposure to risk fosters decision-making, responsibility, and self-regulation—skills essential for both personal and academic growth.

When risk is absent, overprotected learners may develop risk aversion, low self-efficacy, or even learned helplessness. Importantly, the goal is not to be reckless, but to create safe-enough spaces where learners can take developmentally appropriate risks. In fact, when schools and youth programs intentionally include risk—whether physical, social, or emotional—they report stronger group cohesion, more authentic participation, and increased motivation (Louv, 2008; Gray, 2013).

Risky play, when facilitated with care, is not a danger to avoid—it’s a vital ingredient for growth.

In our work, we often use research by Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter from the Queen Maud University College in Norway. If you are a teacher, educator, or L&D professional, we recommend that you take a look!

Sandseter identified six core types of risky play based on behaviors observed and participants’ perceptions:

1. Play with Great Heights

• Examples: Climbing trees, playground towers, cliffs, jumping from high places.
• Risks: Falling and injury.
• Children’s Perception: Both frightening and thrilling – they enjoyed the challenge despite the fear.
• Staff Perception: Generally seen as risky, especially due to falling hazards.

2. Play with High Speed

• Examples: Swinging fast, sledging, biking, running downhill.
• Risks: Losing control, crashing, falling.
• Children’s Perception: High excitement, often scary; injuries like falling off bikes were feared.
• Staff Perception: High-speed situations were considered more risky than slow ones, particularly in winter.

3. Play with Dangerous Tools

• Examples: Using knives, saws, hammers, axes.
• Risks: Cuts and other injuries.
• Children’s Perception: Mixed – some found it thrilling, others were scared.
• Staff Perception: Risky but valuable if properly supervised; encouraged skill-building and responsibility.

4. Play near Dangerous Elements

• Examples: Cliffs, deep water, fire pits.
• Risks: Drowning, falling, burning.
• Children’s Perception: Some feared these settings, others didn’t.
• Staff Perception: Unanimously considered high risk; more cautious when supervising.

5. Rough-and-Tumble Play

• Examples: Play-fighting, wrestling, stick fencing.
• Risks: Physical injury, escalation to real fighting.
• Children’s Perception: Scary but fun, especially when rules or adult-led structure (e.g., judo) was present.
• Staff Perception: Differentiated between risky and less risky forms (e.g., stick fencing was riskier than wrestling).

6. Play Where Children May Disappear/Get Lost

• Examples: Exploring unsupervised, wandering in nature.
• Risks: Getting lost.
• Children’s Perception: Felt exhilarating but also frightening.
• Staff Perception: Often not seen as risky because they felt in control; children’s experience of independence and perceived risk was greater than adults realized.

We challenge you to design one game or activity that includes one of the elements described above. How would you introduce the risk? How would you measure the risk and make sure people can handle it? How would you guide the reflection?

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