Early years practitioners’ perceptions of risky play

Abstract

.The aim of this dissertation is to gain an understanding of a group of early years practitioners’ perceptions of risky play. Further to this, the dissertation will explore the definitions of play as well as categories of play and how these have influenced the risky play discourse. Discussion surrounding risky play has gained momentum with the view that an increasingly risk averse society and enhanced safety regulations within early years settings make it difficult for children to access risky play opportunities. My focus here will be to gain an understanding of how practitioners within the setting I work balance a child’s safety with their fundamental right to play and thus allow them to explore challenging, exciting environments. Children naturally seek out challenging and stimulating experiences which allows them to learn new skills, build confidence, resilience, and a sense of understanding their capabilities. Allowing children the freedom to explore, make mistakes but try again and consequently take a risk occurs when children are playing. This dissertation is based on an understanding that risky play is beneficial to a child, however, safety rules, regulations and negative connotations of risk are perhaps impacting on a child’s freedom to play and take the necessary risks which are crucial to their development. Themes apparent within the dissertation include the role of the practitioner, safety versus supervision and risk benefit. The research data was collected through the use of anonymous questionnaires sent out to practitioners who work within the early years setting where I am the manager. A total of eight questionnaires were collected and subsequently analyzed. The data collected illustrates that the practitioners’ view their role to be vital in the delivery of risky play as there is an understanding of the benefits this play type has to a child’s overall learning and wellbeing. A small number of participants indicate the holistic nature of risky play and consequently this may suggest that risky play does not require to be a separate category of play as it happens throughout learning. In addition, practitioners report barriers to the successful delivery of risky play such as parent attitudes and risk assessment procedures. The conclusions therefore propose that practice should be aimed at viewing risky play through the lens of a risk benefit model of delivery rather than risk assessment. Further to this I conclude by suggesting that risky play is predominantly viewed as physical play, which takes place predominantly outdoors. Research which considers risky play as occurring throughout learning is limited. As a result, areas of future research should consider viewing risky play more holistically from different viewpoints.