What are the downsides of risky, outdoor play for children?

By Michelle Geraghty

With screen time on the increase, is it time for parents to ensure their children engage in outdoor and risky play? What are the downsides? Michelle Geraghty spoke to Duncan Warner of ‘Nature Base’ in Barna to help weigh up the pros and cons.

As darkness falls over Galway Bay on a chilly winter’s afternoon, the stillness and quiet of the dimly-lit car park in Barna is broken with the faint sound of excited children. In the distance, a row of tiny lights appear through the trees, bouncing towards the car park. 

The lights draw near, and laughter and high-pitched chatter becomes clearer. The outlines of twelve excited children emerge from the darkness, torches securely around their heads and hi-vis jackets beginning to glow from the beams of the waiting cars.

As they approach the meeting point, it’s evident they’ve been immersed in nature. Their rain gear is drenched, they’re covered in mud and more importantly, they’re smiling confidently from ear to ear. But this is no surprise to Duncan Warner, founder of Nature Base in Barna.

“It often seems that children are more relaxed and at ease with themselves during and after outdoor play,” said Mr Warner. “By creating these types of activities and fostering a safe social-space for the children, there is an improved likelihood for participants to develop their self-efficacy”.

Risky play

At the Early Childhood Ireland Conference ‘Valuing Outdoor Play’, keynote speaker Prof Ellen BH Sandseter reported that research found positive correlations between risky-play, well-being, social involvement and physical activity for children. 

“Children who engage in regular risky play are more robust individuals, capable of using their whole body, and are more confident in how they engage in the outdoor world,” she stated.

Prof Sandseter’s research aligns with Mr Warner’s mission at Nature Base. 

The after school activity camp encourages an appreciation and enthusiasm for the natural world through a combination of fun games challenges, creative activities and free play.

“I believe that outdoor play can provide opportunities for children to develop their physical literacy,” Mr Warner said. “By its nature, outdoor play almost always involves the use of imagination, improvisation and problem solving”.

Building Confidence

According to Mr Warner, who has a degree in Outdoor Learning, the way children play also plays a role in their emotional and psychological development.

“The range of activities we do at Nature Base are deliberately non-competitive. You cannot win, you cannot lose,” he said. “There are different outcomes for different people but they are all equally valid and appreciated.”

Over the years, Mr Warner has witnessed children that are perhaps not as athletic or physically coordinated as many of their peers grow in confidence. 

“[They] become more comfortable and confident in attempting new activities and also in sharing their ideas with the rest of the group,’ he said.

Screen time

But according to Alice Ferguson of UK charity ‘Playing Out’, children’s lives have become incredibly restricted, indoors, isolated and inactive and their physical and mental health is at crisis point.

And with screen time on the rise, time for outdoor play is diminishing. 

In 2023, Irish people spent an average of 5.59 hours on screens. Assuming we sleep for eight hours a night, that equates to 34.94% of our waking hours on screens. 

The downsides

Research shows the main concerns for parents who are considering introducing risky play is safety. This includes everything from fear of injury to so-called ‘stranger danger’. Surely the riskier the play, the more chance of injury?

According to research, the opposite is true. “Allowing risky play is a key factor in preventing injuries,” according to Prof Sandseter’s keynote address. “Safe environments only postpone learning about how to prevent injury.

While there is always scope for improvements to traffic, playground safety, weather shelters and ‘stranger danger’, these issues should not deter parents. 

Rather, they should inspire educators, policy-makers and politicians to do more to improve safe access to ‘risky outdoor play’ for children. “It is essential to shift public perception from the dangers to the benefits of risky and outdoor play,” said Prof Sandseter.

Win-win

On the whole, experts believe that immersing children in nature is a win-win. It improves their mood, reduces anxiety and has endless benefits for their physical, emotional and intellectual development and helps children assess risk.

And messy, outdoor play gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from the children too.

“I love that we get to climb on the big trees that fall down,” said Dylan (6), who attends Nature Base on a weekly basis. “And I love that we get to splash in puddles and little rivers and I love getting muddy and then daddy has to clean off all the mud afterwards!”

It would seem then that the main downside to outdoor, risky play for parents is the laundry.