Perceptions of risky play in early childhood education

NICOLA PEARCE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR, EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY, UK Theoretical framework Risky play in early childhood education is a concept that has seen a recent rise in popularity but remains a relatively new research area. Play is often defined as ‘risky’ based on the characteristics of where or how children play – at heights or with speed, for example – or based on the items with which they’re playing, such as tools (Goldenberg, 2021). Sandseter (2009) describes risky play as thrilling forms of play that involve a risk of physical injury, but suggests that few if any studies have been conducted to explore what specifically characterises play activities as such. Harper and Obee (2020) define risk taking as a behaviour which has an uncertain outcome with the potential for both loss and gain. Research from Sando et al. (2021) and Lavryson et al. (2017) suggests that risky play is associated with children’s wellbeing as well as an improved ability to perceive and asse