Childrens Risky Play

ABSTRACT
Play is an essential activity for various developmental aspects of the
early childhood years and sometimes this activity includes taking
risks, a mixture of emotions ranging from fear and feeling out of
control to thrills and enjoyment. However, parents’ fears, anxieties
and expectations related to their children’s safety may discourage
children from engaging in risky plays. The aim of this research is to
examine the role of parents’ gender in parenting attitudes and
parental permission to engage in risky play. The sample consisted
of 341 parents of four- to six-year-old children, and the data collection relied on Ünüvar and Kanyılmaz’s (2017) Scale of Allowing Risky
Play and Karabulut Demir and Şendil’s (2008) Parental Attitude
Scale. Data analysis established that the interaction effect between
parents’ gender and number of children and between parents’
gender and educational level were statistically significant for
whether they would permit risky play. However, there was no
significant interaction effect on parenting attitudes between their
genders. Finally, parents with democratic and permissive parenting
styles were more likely and those with authoritarian and overprotective styles were less likely to allow risky play

Play is an essential part of childhood, and growing attention has focused on the potential health benefits of 'risky' or 'thrill-seeking' play. Such play behavior is readily observed on any playground, where it can sometimes lead to injuries-most often from fall impacts-that require medical attention. Monkey bars account for ~7% of childhood arm fractures in the USA, an alarming statistic that raises difficult questions over its costs and benefits. Many authors view monkey bars as a public health hazard, but it is plausible that our childhood impulse toward thrill-seeking play is a result of selective pressures throughout our primate evolutionary history. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that the developmental benefits of thrill-seeking play extend into adulthood, outweighing the occasional costs of injury. Disparate and consequential, these dueling perspectives have fueled debate among health professionals and policymakers, but with little attention to the work of biological anthropologists. Here we call attention to the hominin fossil record and play behaviors of non-human primates, providing a novel perspective that bolsters arguments for the adaptive significance of thrill-seeking play. The moment for such a review is timely, for it commemorates the centennial anniversaries of two playground icons: the jungle gym and monkey bars. Lay summary Our paper traces the origin and history of 'monkey bars', an iconic playground apparatus. Designed to elicit thrill-seeking play, monkey bars are associated with many positive health outcomes during childhood, boosting physical and emotional well-being. Yet, monkey bars are also a major cause of upper-limb injuries among children, including bone fractures, leading to debate among public health professionals. Our paper shines a spotlight on this problem while also highlighting the evolutionary perspectives of biological anthropologists.

In this study, we enacted critical participatory action research (CPAR) within an online community of practice (CoP). The CoP was designed to build a community of outdoor play and learning (OPAL) practitioners. This paper describes how a cohort (n=18) of experienced Kindergarten to grade eight (K 8) teachers from across British Columbia shared their OPAL experiences and practice and the collective action taken. Regularly scheduled meetings over a six-month period resulted in dialogue that identified the need for quality resources that were accessible for all teachers. The concept of a website, developed for teachers by teachers experienced with OPAL, was initiated within the CPAR process. This article describes findings related to participation in a CPAR CoP, and the process of deciding upon and enacting shared action to support OPAL elementary school teachers.

Amaç: Zihinsel yetersizliği olan ve olmayan 3-6 yaş çocuklarda yaralanma riski ve sıklığı karşılaştırmak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: İzmir ilinde bulunan bir anaokulu ve on iki Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi’nde eğitim gören 3-6 yaş grubu çocukların anneleriyle yürütüldü. [zihinsel yetersizliği olan (n=100) ve zihinsel yetersizliği olmayan (n=100)] Veriler; Çocuk ve Aile Bilgi Formu, Yaralanma Davranışı Risk Kontrol Listesi ve Çocuklarda Yaralanma Sıklığı Anketi kullanılarak toplanıldı. Bulgular: Zihinsel yetersizliği olan çocukların yaralanma riskinin, zihinsel yetersizliği olmayan çocuklara göre 0.9 kat daha fazla olduğu saptanmıştır (p=0.003). Zihinsel yetersizliği olan çocukların son iki aydaki yaralanma sıklığı, zihinsel yetersizliği olmayan çocuklara göre daha fazladır. Sonuç ve Önerileri: Zihinsel yetersizliği olan çocukların yaralanma konusunda zihinsel yetersizliği olmayan çocuklara göre daha riskli bir grup olduğu ve daha fazla yaralandıkları görülmüştür. Bu çocuk...

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The existence of specific quality indicators of kindergarten outdoor physical environments and pedagogical policies seems to promote different affordances to play, which has impacts on children's play behavior, and on their motor and socio-emotional development. This article presents a methodology to be used in a PhD project, which aims to analyze the quality of the outdoor physical environments and pedagogical policies of 19 kindergartens in Gondomar (Portugal), to determine their impact on preschool children's play affordances. A comprehensive mixed methodology will be applied in two stages. At the first stage, an in-loco observation scale, and surveys completed by the kindergarten's directors and educators will be used to assess the quality of outdoor physical environment and pedagogical policies. In the second stage, 2 kindergartens will be selected (one with high scores and one with low scores on the quality assessment). In each of them; the play yard choices, types of play and interaction with the peers will be analysed through RFDI sensors, participant and systematic observation, and video records. Children's motor and socio-emotional competence will be assessed through standardized assessment batteries. Children's perception of the kindergarten outdoor space will also be analyzed through drawings and interviews. Surveys will be completed by educators and parents to assess their perceptions of outdoor play. This study aims to contribute to the increase in the amount of scientific knowledge about the quality indicators regarding the outdoors physical environment and pedagogical practices of kindergartens, assessing their impact on children's play behavior. This issue has particular importance after a long period of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which outdoor play behaviors and movement were more restricted and have inevitably changed (

The existence of specific quality indicators of kindergarten outdoor physical environments and pedagogical policies seems to promote different affordances to play, which has impacts on children's play behavior, and on their motor and socio-emotional development. This article presents a methodology to be used in a PhD project, which aims to analyze the quality of the outdoor physical environments and pedagogical policies of 19 kindergartens in Gondomar (Portugal), to determine their impact on preschool children's play affordances. A comprehensive mixed methodology will be applied in two stages. At the first stage, an in-loco observation scale, and surveys completed by the kindergarten's directors and educators will be used to assess the quality of outdoor physical environment and pedagogical policies. In the second stage, 2 kindergartens will be selected (one with high scores and one with low scores on the quality assessment). In each of them; the play yard choices, types of play and interaction with the peers will be analysed through RFDI sensors, participant and systematic observation, and video records. Children's motor and socio-emotional competence will be assessed through standardized assessment batteries. Children's perception of the kindergarten outdoor space will also be analyzed through drawings and interviews. Surveys will be completed by educators and parents to assess their perceptions of outdoor play. This study aims to contribute to the increase in the amount of scientific knowledge about the quality indicators regarding the outdoors physical environment and pedagogical practices of kindergartens, assessing their impact on children's play behavior. This issue has particular importance after a long period of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which outdoor play behaviors and movement were more restricted and have inevitably changed (

Risky play is defined as thrilling and challenging forms of play that have the potential for physical injury and has been linked to developmental and health benefits for children in the early years. Currently, in Western contexts, children's opportunities for risky play is decreasing. Social factors such as practitioner and parental attitudes and beliefs have been found to impact children's opportunities to engage in risky play. In risky play research and literature, Norway is regarded as a less risk-adverse Western country. Therefore, this research aimed to understand the impact of social factors on children's affordances for risky play in a Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) context. Research was conducted at a Norwegian ECEC institution and participants included 28 children, aged 3 to 4 years, and 4 ECEC practitioners and 5 parents. The study employed participant observation field notes and semi-structured interviews with parents and practitioners. This research identified themes in social factors that may contribute to children's affordances in risky play in ECEC, including assumptions about childhood, parents and practitioner attitudes, and pedagogical practices.

This article addresses the effects of a risk-averse Western society on healthy childhood development. Forest and nature schools are specifically identified for their inclusion of outdoor risky play. Forest and nature schools are presented as idealized venues to investigate and understand the necessary balance of risk-taking and safety in child development. Forest and nature school is an environment in which risk of injury is inherent yet minimal. Although teachers/practitioners allow risk-taking, it may not be well understood outside of the context of the forest and nature school. Beck's risk-society is introduced and argued to hold steady influence-a shadow-over societal beliefs and practices, inducing fear of litigation in the minds of practitioners. Through recognizing and addressing unreasonable societal perception and acceptance of actual childhood risks, one can better estimate the value of the minimal risks forest and nature schools pose to children. The author proposes a reconceptualization of risk in child development and advocates for reform of policy and practices which prevent children from full exploration of their capacity and curiosity through outdoor risky play.

Outdoor risky play provides developmental and health benefits for children, such as risk-assessment skills, increased physical activity and wellbeing and promoting social competencies and resilience. Modern Western society is highly risk-averse and many children are protected from risks more commonly experienced by previous generations. Forest and nature schools (FS) are one approach encouraging unstructured outdoor play in natural environments including the inherent risks; falling, cuts and bruises, sun exposure, etc. Ten early childhood education FS practitioners were interviewed to explore their articulation of outdoor risky play, pedagogical practices pertaining to risk and how they navigate tensions between regulatory policies and idealized practice. This research serves to bring practitioners' voices to the literature on how the risk associated with outdoor play is being defined, rationalized, and enacted in FS programs. Findings from this study inform recommendations for practice and further inquiry into risky play and its benefits.

Risky play is defined as thrilling and challenging forms of play that have
the potential for physical injury and has been linked to development
and health benefits for children in the early years. These benefits include
risk-assessment skills, increased physical activity and well-being, and
promoting social competencies and resilience. Currently, in a Western
context, children’s opportunities for risky play are decreasing and at the
same time, childhood inactivity and coinciding health concerns are on
the rise [WHO. (2016). Childhood overweight and obesity. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/]. Risky play may
help ameliorate some current health problems for children. This research
aimed to increase understanding of how children use affordances
(environmental factors that intersect with and influence human
behaviours) for risky play. Physical environmental factors have been
found to influence children’s affordances for all play, including risky play.
The study employed a deductive analysis of participant-observer field
notes and focused-video observations in order to identify how children
utilize indoor and outdoor environmental features for risky play. Data
was interpreted through Gibson’s [(1979). The ecological approach to
visual perception. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.] theory of affordances and
was then fit to established taxonomies of environments for children’s
risky play. Research was conducted with children, ages 3–4 years, at a
kindergarten in Norway. Findings identified environmental affordances
for risky play that were actualized by children in this study. We propose
that findings from this study may be useful in considering the physical
design of early childhood education play spaces.

This reflective account has been co-developed, produced and written by students and the teaching staff on the BA Hons Social Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Participation degree at the University of Central Lancashire. The account focuses on the use of experiential and creative teaching methods utilised on the course and how this enhances the understanding and application of social pedagogy. The article critically analyses the link between how the social pedagogical theories, concepts and methods are taught and the advancement of the student and lecturer understanding of this field of study. In developing this reflective account, the current student cohort and lecturers were given the opportunity to participate in a collaborative reflection across all years of the course. They discussed their own learning journey and how this has shaped development of creativity within their practice. During the discussions around the use of blended, experiential learning and creativity, three key themes em...

The purpose of this qualitative research was to determine whether the outdoor play areas in Icelandic preschools provide children with opportunities for risky play. Further to this the attitudes, perspectives and approaches that preschool teachers have towards risky play were explored. The final goal was to find out whether preschool teachers in Iceland encourage or hinder children s risky play activities. It is hoped that this research will provide more information on the situation of risky play in Icelandic preschools and raise awareness to the importance of such play. Photographs were taken of six preschool play areas, three in an urban area and three in a rural area of North Iceland to assist during data analysis. Drawings of the photographs were included to assist the reader get a clearer picture of the play features. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews, using open-ended questions, were chosen as the method to collect data from twelve preschool teachers. The results of this ...

The current research examined the effectiveness of four-week nature-based education program on young children's affinity toward nature (biophilia). The sample of the study is comprised of 40 preschools children between the age of 60 to 66-month-old residing in Mersin, Turkey. Children's biophilic tendencies were measured before and after the intervention to gauge the effect of their regular interaction with nature and play in such an environment. Children's biophilia were measured using a visually supported scale that included both biophilic and non-biophilic items. A quasi-experimental design with one group pre-test and post-test design were employed to measure the difference in biophilic tendencies before and after the intervention was given. The results showed that a short-term, naturebased education program in a natural area was effective in terms of increasing children's affinity toward nature. The improvement in children's level of biophilia after the implementation of the program was statistically significant.

Özet: Erken çocukluk yılları, çocukların temel hareket becerilerini geliştirmesinde ve yeni edinilecek motor becerilere temel oluşturması açısından kritik bir öneme sahiptir. Çocuklar, bu süreçte motor becerilerini geliştirecek oyun ortamlarına ihtiyaç duymaktadırlar ve oyun aracılığıyla büyük ve küçük kaslarını aktif bir şekilde kullanmaktadırlar. Bu dönemde çocuklara, motor becerilerini kullanma fırsatlarının verilmemesi, çocukların motor performansını olumsuz bir şekilde etkileyebilmekte ve daha karmaşık motor becerileri öğrenmeye karşı isteksiz davranmalarına neden olabilmektedir. Riskli oyunlar da yoğun fiziksel hareket içeren oyunlar olması nedeniyle, çocukların motor becerilerini geliştirmelerine olanak sağlayan geniş, güdüleyici, dinamik ve ilgi çekici bir alan sunmaktadır. Riskli oyun aracılığıyla çocuklar, kaba ve ince motor becerilerini, denge, koordinasyon ve beden farkındalıklarını geliştirmektedirler. Bu çalışmada da riskli oyunların çocukların motor gelişimlerini desteklemede nasıl bir rol oynadığını belirlemek hedeflenmiştir. Bu bağlamda, alan yazında yer alan riskli oyunla ilgili güncel çalışmalar derlenmiş ve riskli oyunun erken çocuk dönemindeki önemi tartışılmıştır. Ayrıca, çalışmada, riskli oyunlar ile motor gelişim arasındaki ilişki incelenmiş ve riskli oyunların yaygınlaştırılmasına ilişkin önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Riskli oyun; belirsizlik, mücadele, heyecan, korku ve fiziksel yaralanma olasılığı barındıran ve çocukların kendi güçlü ve zayıf yönlerinin farkına varıp, bu yönlerini test etmelerine ve sınırlarını zorlamalarına fırsat veren bir oyun türü olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, 2012 yılında Hill ve Bundy tarafından geliştirilen Oyunda Risk Alma Toleransı Ölçeği'ni (ORAT) Türkçe'ye uyarlamak ve uyarlanan ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmalarını Rasch analizi ile gerçekleştirmektir. Ölçeğin uyarlanan formuna ilişkin iç geçerlik, dış geçerlik ve iç güvenirlik bulguları, orijinal ölçek ile tutarlılık göstermiştir. Ayrıca, orijinal ölçek geliştirme çalışmasında ortaya çıkan madde hiyerarşisi, mevcut çalışmada da benzer şekilde bulunmuştur. Araştırmanın örneklemi, Türkiye' de Mersin ilinde yer alan beş farklı devlet anaokuluna kayıtlı çocuğu bulunan 340 ebeveynin, amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilmesi ile oluşturulmuştur. Sonuç olarak, Oyunda Risk Alma Toleransı ölçeği (ORAT)'ın Türkçe'ye uyarlama çalışmasına yönelik yapılan geçerlik ve güvenirlik analizlerininden elde edilen bulgular, bu ölçeğin yetişkinlerin risk toleransının çocukların riskli oyunları üzerindeki etkisini araştırmak için geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermektedir.

The current research examined the effectiveness of four-week nature-based education program on young children's affinity toward nature (biophilia). The sample of the study is comprised of 40 preschools children between the age of 60 to 66-month-old residing in Mersin, Turkey. Children's biophilic tendencies were measured before and after the intervention to gauge the effect of their regular interaction with nature and play in such an environment. Children's biophilia were measured using a visually supported scale that included both biophilic and non-biophilic items. A quasi-experimental design with one group pre-test and post-test design were employed to measure the difference in biophilic tendencies before and after the intervention was given. The results showed that a short-term, naturebased education program in a natural area was effective in terms of increasing children's affinity toward nature. The improvement in children's level of biophilia after the implementation of the program was statistically significant.

Bu çalışma okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının riskli oyun oynamalarında okullarının fiziksel ortamlarının öğretmen algılarına etkisinin incelenmesi amacı ile yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 2021-2022 eğitim öğretim yılında Afyonkarahisar İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü’ne bağlı 344 okul öncesi öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada, veri toplama aracı olarak okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin kişisel bilgilerinin yer aldığı “Genel Bilgi Formu” ve Karaca ve Uzun (2020) tarafından geliştirilen “Erken Çocukluk Riskli Oyun Değerlendirme Aracı-Öğretmen Formu (EÇRODA-ÖF)” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın analizinde, elde edilen verilerin normal dağılmadığı belirlenerek, iki değişken için Mann Whitney U Testi ile ikiden fazla değişkenler için Kruskal Wallis H Testi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, okul türü, sınıf mevcudu ve yardımcı personelde anlamlı fark bulunmuş, oyun odası ve araç gereç değişkenlerinde anlamlı farklılık saptanamamıştır. Araştırma sonucunda eğitimcilere, araştırmacıla...

A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3-12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky) outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critical appraisal of the current literature and existing position statements, engagement of research experts (N = 9) and cross-sectorial individuals/organizations (N = 17), and an extensive stakeholder consultation process (N = 1908). More than 95% of the stakeholders consulted strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the Position Statement; 14/17 participating individuals/organizations endorsed it; and over 1000 additional individuals and organizations requested their name be listed as a supporter. The final Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play states: "Access to active play in nature and outdoors-with its risks-is essential for healthy child development. We recommend increasing children's opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings-at home, at school, in child care, the community and nature." The full Position Statement provides context for the

This study is a research in the general survey model and aims to investigate the play opportunities offered to preschool children according to the opinions of teachers. In the 2016-2017 academic year, the study group located in different geographical regions of Turkey, 460 preschool teachers who were working in the public preschools affiliated to the Ministry of Education. The research data were obtained through a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. Quantitative data of the study were analyzed by frequency and percentage calculations, and qualitative data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. According to the findings of the research, it was determined that the teachers gave free play for one to two hours at the start of the day and the children mostly liked their plays with the materials from the natural / nature in the playground. It was found that teachers thought that the negative conditions of the park / garden areas in the school pose a risk to children; children experience various accidents when playing games in classroom / school, at the beginning of these cases were found falling down cases. In addition, it has been determined that parents and school administrators have various demands on the children's play, parents often want teachers to be taught to read and write by reducing their playing time at school. while school administrators do not want to play loud / noisy games at school. According to these results, it is suggested that more attention should be paid to the development of a national play policy and the importance of play in preschool period.

Bu calisma, anne-babalarin cocuklarin oynadiklari riskli oyun ile ilgili goruslerinde etkili olan etmenleri inceleyebilmek amaciyla yapilmistir. Arastirmaya 2019-2020 egitim ogretim yilinda Afyonkarahisar il merkezinde Milli Egitim Mudurlugu’ne bagli okul oncesi egitim kurumlarina devam eden, tipik gelisim gosteren, gonullu basit tesadufi ornekleme yoluyla belirlenen 650 (anne=400, baba=250) cocugun anne-babasi dâhil edilmistir. Arastirmada okul oncesi egitime devam eden cocuklarin ve anne-babalarin demografik ozelliklerinin yer aldigi “Genel Bilgi Formu” ve anne-babalarin riskli oyun ile ilgili goruslerini degerlendirmek amaciyla Karaca (2020) tarafindan gelistirilen “Erken Cocukluk Riskli Oyun Degerlendirme Araci (ECRODA)-Ebeveyn Formu” kullanilmistir. Calisma sonucu elde edilen verilerin normal dagilim gostermemesi nedeniyle parametrik olmayan analizlerle degerlendirilmistir. Calisma sonucunda, anne-babalarin riskli oyun konusundaki goruslerin belirlenmesinde cocuklarin cinsiyeti...

Risky play provides multiple benefits for children’s development. This study compared teachers’ perceptions of risky play in one kindergarten in Norway and one in China, including the concept of risky play, the roles of teachers, the protective strategies adopted, and the factors limiting the practice of risky play. The aim of the article is to identify how teachers perceive risky play in different cultures and broaden our knowledge of what risky play is. The research question is: How do teachers from different cultures perceive different aspects of risky play? The study employs a risk “thermostat” model (Adams, 2001), drawing on teachers’ perceptions of individual propensity to risks, perceived danger, potential rewards, and accidents in children’s risky play. Semi-structured interviews with ten employees revealed that teachers in the two participating kindergartens had different perceptions of risky play. Findings indicated that teachers in the Norwegian kindergarten have theoreti...

Part of effective Early Childhood Education and Care is to support children's awareness of hazards and management of possible injuries during risky play. This study evaluated the attitudes of Norwegian kindergarten teachers towards 'Henry first aid training' and its impact on 3-6-year olds' understanding of first aid. 588 kindergarten employees completed an online survey and 50 children (26 boys and 24 girls) participated in semi-structured interviews gauging their knowledge of first aid before and after using Henry. These children's knowledge of first aid was compared to 46 children who had used Henry over a longer period. Survey results indicated strong enthusiasm among kindergarten teachers for the use of Henry. Children's understanding of first aid increased from pre-to post-interviews, t (43) = 8.878, p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.32. Findings are discussed in relation to the international scalability of Henry and the need for training kindergarten teachers and children in first aid. KEYWORDS First aid; Red Cross; risk play; Norwegian kindergarten An ongoing discussion in the early childhood literature revolves around the balance between risky and safe play for young children (Brussoni et al. 2015a; Waller et al. 2010). While the literature indicates many benefits of risky play for young children (Little and Eager 2010; Brussoni et al. 2015b; Sando, Kleppe, and Sandseter 2021), and children themselves show a preference for more challenging playground equipment to experience risk (Jongeneel, Withagen, and Zaal 2015), there is a continuous erosion of children's risky play in children's daily lives, with policies, regulatory frameworks and curricula designed to minimise risk experienced by children in natural environments (Little, Wyver, and Gibson 2011; Harper 2017). It is against this backdrop that educational organisations and professionals develop approaches that equip children with skills and knowledge to be more resilient towards possible injuries and thus enhance their risk management in play. This perspective is embedded in the approaches that aim to teach children first aid skills and increase their knowledge about injuries and health conditions. Our work identifies with this perspective, and in this paper, we

Globally, Universal Design (UD) is promoted as an evidence-informed approach for planning and designing accessible and inclusive public playgrounds, which are valuable sites for outdoor play in child-friendly cities. However, it remains unclear the extent to which UD has been implemented in public playgrounds. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which UD is implemented, from the perspectives of playground professionals in the Republic of Ireland. A descriptive, cross-sectional online survey was used to gather data. Data analysis revealed that playground professionals recognise the importance of UD for planning, designing, and providing public playgrounds for inclusion, and implement UD in various ways. Still, a lack of knowledge and good practice guides for embedding UD, constitute significant barriers. Numerous opportunities, initiatives and training prospects were identified to better support the implementation of UD. Moreover, further research with 'professional experts' and 'user-experts' is required to strengthen socio-spatial inclusion.

Outdoor play provides children with unique opportunities to explore and expand their worlds, and to incorporate risk and challenge into play events. However, international research indicates that children are being exposed to fewer opportunities to engage in outdoor, risky play, while few studies have explored risky play among children aged six-to-eight years in differing cultural contexts. This qualitative study explored children's perspectives and experiences of outdoor risky play in a rural Irish town. Ten children took part in focus groups, drawings, photography, a child-led tour of the local community and a mapmaking session. Three themes emerged; Risky play and me, my power to play and 'sometimes it is kind of worth it!'. Findings suggest that risky play categories evolve as children age, and some new categories surfaced, including risky construction and breaking the rules. Further exploration of risky play is warranted to ascertain its characteristics more fully among this age group.

Bu çalışmada okul öncesi öğretmenleri için Erken Çocukluk Riskli Oyun Değerlendirme Aracı-Öğretmen Formu'nun (EÇRODA-ÖF) geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç çerçevesinde 2019-2020 eğitim-öğretim yılında Türkiye'de Afyonkarahisar il merkezinde bulunan Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı'na bağlı ilkokulların anasınıfları ve bağımsız anaokullarında görev yapan 381 okul öncesi öğretmeni çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. EÇRODA-ÖF geliştirilebilmesi için öncelikle literatür taraması yapılmış beşli likert tipine sahip 44 maddeden oluşan madde havuzu oluşturulmuştur. Maddelerin yer aldığı form okul öncesi eğitimi ve çocuk gelişimi alanında uzman beş akademisyen, bir ölçme ve değerlendirme uzmanı ve beş öğretmen olmak üzere on bir uzmanın görüşüne sunulmuş ve ölçeğe son hali verilmiştir. Verilerin analizinde SPSS ve AMOS programları kullanılmış, doğrulayıcı ve açımlayıcı faktör analizi ve ölçeğin tamamı ve alt boyutları için iç tutarlılık katsayısı belirlenmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucu elde edilen değerler ölçme aracının güvenilir olduğu ve kabul edilebilir psikometrik özelliklere sahip olduğunu göstermiştir.

In this article, I examine children's evolved learning mechanisms that make humans the most educable of animals. These include (1) skeletal perceptual and cognitive mechanisms that get fleshed out over the course of development, mainly through play; (2) a high level of plasticity that is greatest early in life but that persists into adulthood; (3) remarkable social-learning capabilities; and (4) dispositions toward exploration and play. I next examine some evolutionary mismatches-conflicts between psychological mechanisms evolved in ancient environments and their utility in modern ones-specifically with respect to modern educational systems. I then suggest some ways educators can take advantage of children's evolved learning abilities to minimize the effects of evolutionary mismatches, including (1) following developmentally appropriate practices (which are also evolutionarily appropriate practices), (2) increasing opportunities for physical activities, (3) increasing opportunities to learn through play, and (4) taking advantage of stress-adapted children's "hidden talents." I argue that evolutionary theory informs teachers and parents about how children evolved to learn and can result in moreenlightened teaching methods that will result in a more enjoyable and successful learning experiences for children.

Bu araştırmada üniversite öğrencilerinin serbest zaman okuryazarlık düzeylerini ölçebilecek, aynı zamanda yetişkin eğitimi ilkeleri ile de uyumlu bir ölçme aracının geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2016-2017 Eğitim-Öğretim yılında Kırıkkale Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Fakültesinde öğrenim gören toplam 869 öğrenci oluşmaktadır. Açımlayıcı Faktör Analizi sonucunda; "temel serbest zaman okuryazarlığı, işlevsel serbest zaman okuryazarlığı ve eylemsel serbest zaman okuryazarlığı" olarak isimlendirilen üç faktörlü bir yapı elde edilmiştir. Bu yapıya Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi uygulanmış ve beş maddenin silinmesinden sonra ortaya çıkan Serbest Zaman Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği'ne ilişkin 21 madde ve üç faktörlü yapının yeterli uyum indekslerine sahip olduğunu görülmüştür. Sonuçta Serbest Zaman Okuryazarlığı Ölçeğinin geçerli ve güvenilir ölçümler üreten bir ölçme aracı olduğu ve yetişkinliğe yeni adım atan üniversite öğrencilerinin serbest zaman okuryazarlığı düzeylerini ölçmek amacıyla kullanılabileceği; ayrıca elde edilen ölçeğin yetişkin eğitimi ilkeleri ile de tutarlı olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Tirilye is one of the most ancient towns in Bursa Province of Turkey, situated 12 km on the west of Mudanya. It is almost located on the Marmara Sea shoreline. The area, which was inhabited since 5th Century BC, was formerly known as , Trigleia or , Brylleion in ancient Greek. Trilye has been an important religious center for Greek Orthodox Christians and is a first level protected area since 1980 because of the Byzantine and Ottoman architectural monuments. It is also considered as an openair museum with various historical buildings. Thus the site is not only an important place with its' history, but also it is one of the precious places of Turkey to have an architectural search on new forms and concepts on an existed historical area. With 20 students of the Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture of Yildiz Technical University, The Design Studio 4 has been searched to find the best places and related architectural concepts to create new architectural forms on Tirilye, during the spring semester of 2013-2014 educational year. Thus the paper will have the long process of the Design Studio 4, with the best 5 projects of 20 different location and concept proposal projects to Tirilye.

UVODNIK mag. Špela Planinšek, Gozdarski inštitut Slovenije Leto 2019 je za gozdarje, ki delamo na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja javnosti, minilo v sozvočju z Mednarodnim dnem gozdov. Vsako leto je izbrana ena glavna tema in tokrat je bila posvečena prikazu vloge gozda v procesu izobraževanja za trajnostni razvoj. Kako pa se je leto 2019 za slovenske gozdne pedagoge začelo? V celjskem mestnem gozdu, na velikem dogodku pod drevesno hišo! Slika 1: Mnogo ljudi je povabilo v gozd vzelo zares. In ni jim bilo žal.

The current research examined the effectiveness of four-week nature-based education program on young children's affinity toward nature (biophilia). The sample of the study is comprised of 40 preschools children between the age of 60 to 66-month-old residing in Mersin, Turkey. Children's biophilic tendencies were measured before and after the intervention to gauge the effect of their regular interaction with nature and play in such an environment. Children's biophilia were measured using a visually supported scale that included both biophilic and non-biophilic items. A quasi-experimental design with one group pre-test and post-test design were employed to measure the difference in biophilic tendencies before and after the intervention was given. The results showed that a short-term, naturebased education program in a natural area was effective in terms of increasing children's affinity toward nature. The improvement in children's level of biophilia after the implementation of the program was statistically significant.

Unintentional injuries are a major cause of disability and death among children. Initial strategies to address child safety issues have primarily either focused on the environment, trying to identify "risk environments", or on the individual, trying to identify "at risk children". More recently, the interaction between child and environment is starting to be addressed in order to enhance the understanding of childhood injuries. The present review suggests a framing of these studies in ecological theory, which implies that children with certain characteristics perceive certain affordances in the environment. In this context, risk may be considered a relational concept. The literature on risk prevention is reviewed and the role of caregivers in managing affordances is emphasized.

Preschool children spend a large part of their everyday life in kindergartens, so it is necessary to include visits to the forest, which is the most extensive natural environment in Slovenia, in preschool childcare programs. Based on surveys with preschool teachers of public kindergartens in Slovenia (N = 133), we analysed the habits, purposes, barriers and concerns associated with visiting the forest. The frequency and duration of forest visits largely depend on the distance of the forest from the kindergarten. The habits of forest visits among forest kindergartens which are included in the Network of Forest Kindergartens organized by the Institute of Forest Pedagogy do not differ significantly from that of general public kindergartens. They differ mainly with respect to the frequency of visitation in bad weather and the purpose of visitation. The main concerns when visiting the forest are ticks, fear of injury, and the children having inappropriate equipment. The reasons for less frequent forest visitation include different pedagogical priorities of the kindergartens and lack of support from the management and parents, which highlight the need for the strategic promotion and implementation of forest visitation in preschool education.

Predšolski otroci preživijo velik del vsakdanjika v vrtcih, zato je treba umestiti obisk gozda, kot najobsežnejšega naravnega okolja v Sloveniji, v programe predšolskega varstva otrok. Na podlagi anket vzgojiteljev javnih vrtcev v Sloveniji (N = 133) smo analizirali navade, namene, ovire in skrbi pri obiskovanju gozda. V največji meri sta pogostost in dolžina obiska gozda odvisni od njegove oddaljenosti. Navade obiska gozda med gozdnimi vrtci, vključeni mi v Mrežo gozdnih vrtcev, ki jo organizira Inštitut za gozdno pedagogiko, se večinoma ne razlikujejo značilno od splošnih javnih vrtcev. Najpomembnejša razlika med njimi je pogostejši obisk v slabšem vremenu in sam namen obiska gozda. Glavne skrbi pri obisku gozda so klopi, strah pred poškodbami in neprimerna oprema otrok. Za manj pogostejši obisk gozda vzgojitelji navajajo med drugim tudi druge vzgojne prioritete vrtcev in premalo podpore s strani vodstva ter staršev, kar nakazuje potrebo po strateški promociji, izobraževanju in implementaciji preživljanja časa v gozdu v okviru predšolske vzgoje.

Purpose: To explore whether parental perceptions of risk and attitudes towards risk-taking during play are associated with preschoolers’ physical activity (PA) and physical literacy (PL). Methods: Nova Scotia preschoolers (35 boys, 17 girls; mean age = 3.8 years) and parents (n=52 pairs) provided data. Linear regressions assessed associations of risk perceptions and attitudes with children’s PA and PL, controlling for children’s age (p&lt;0.05). Results: Perceptions of risk were significantly associated with preschoolers’ PA (r=0.24, p=0.05), and predicted 11.6% of the variance in PA. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between attitudes towards risky-play and PL (r=0.21, p=0.05), explaining 14.7% of the variance in PL. Conclusion: This evidence supports growing literature around the value of risky-play to children’s development and parents’ influence in risk-taking behaviour.

A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3-12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky) outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critical appraisal of the current literature and existing position statements, engagement of research experts (N = 9) and cross-sectorial individuals/organizations (N = 17), and an extensive stakeholder consultation process (N = 1908). More than 95% of the stakeholders consulted strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the Position Statement; 14/17 participating individuals/organizations endorsed it; and over 1000 additional individuals and organizations requested their name be listed as a supporter. T...

While nature environments afford food for human consumption, there is a dearth of empirical inquiry that considers foraging as a sustainable, seasonal practice that builds human-nature relations. This gap in the literature is particularly apparent in early childhood education literature. Drawing on observations recorded at two forest-based nature kindergartens in Finland and Scotland, the data illustrate how outdoor learning sites are richly resourced places where foraging practices are mediated by socio-cultural norms. Bourdieu’s concept of habitus (1977) is used to consider the ways in which foraging practices, in contrasting early childhood education programs, are hallmarked by “conduit” adults. These adults play a constitutive role in maintaining uncontested, “common sense,” quotidian behaviors.

La cuestión del juego arriesgado en niños y niñas está tomando gran importancia tanto en el ámbito académico como en el de las políticas públicas dentro del entorno europeo. Debido a que gran parte de la actividad física que realizan los pequeños/as se desarrollan en áreas de juego tales como los parques infantiles, es necesaria una investigación sobre el juego arriesgado que acontece en tales espacios. El presente artículo propone una investigación sobre la percepción por parte de madres y padres sobre el juego arriesgado que sus hijos e hijas de 5 y 6 años de edad desarrollan en parques infantiles. Trata además de enmarcar desde una perspectiva elisiana dicha percepción dentro de procesos socio-históricos más amplios, poniendo el foco en nuestro país como representante del área europea mediterránea. Se optó por el análisis cualitativo de veinte entrevistas semiestructuradas a padres y madres. La principal conclusión del estudio es la constatación de la existencia de contradicciones y tensiones psíquicas en los progenitores respecto al juego arriesgado de los hijos e hijas. Tales contradicciones y tensiones estaban asociadas al difícil equilibrio que demandaba un control flexible de los niños y niñas en el que se requería la necesidad de dar más libertad a la vez que estar más presentes/pendientes en la vida de sus hijos.

This paper aimed to present a literature review, examine relevant studies and present their common aims and findings. Based on this review, the study also intended to discuss and evaluate the current status of risky play in Turkish early childhood education. The literature was chosen through online sources, including several books, reports and many articles in the journals. A comprehensive research was conducted through data bases including ERIC, SCOPUS, ULAKBIM and Complementary Index using the key words such as; risk, risk taking, risky play, risk perception. Sources were evaluated for eligibility based on predetermined categories such as the definition and categories of risky play, the value of risky play, and the effect of teacher interactions and school structure on risky play. The relevant studies were summarized using a template based on the predetermined categories and additional categories that emerged in the review process. In reviewed studies, it was frequently stated that over protective parenting style and a rise in risk anxiety related to children's safety are common characteristics in modern society during the 19 th and the 20 th century. At that point, the key role of early childhood institutions in provision of risky play for children comes into question. However, there should be some regulations in schools in order to balance risk and safety. For instance, the staff-child ratio should be decreased to ensure active and appropriate supervision. Similarly, outdoor playgrounds should be improved to eliminate possibilities for negative risk-taking behaviors because of insufficient challenges or boredom. More natural elements could be included to increase the opportunities for risky play or the teacher might carry out outdoor play sessions in natural surroundings such as forests or woodland.

This article explores the concept 'curious play' as a theoretical framework to understand and communicate children's experiences of free play in nature. The concept emerged interactively from three sources of inspiration: 1) an ethnographically inspired study of children playing in nature, 2) as a critique of the concept of 'risky play' being the dominant discourse on children's play in natural environments, and 3) from phenomenological and cultural-historical theories of children's play and play environments. The article illustrates this interplay through an analysis of two empirical examples, and argues that curious play opens for a comprehensive and existential approach to understanding the interplay of children playing in nature and children's growth. Thus, children are conceptualised as active explorers and playful agents whilst embodying and creating knowledge, skills, and understandings of themselves and their life worlds.

Children’s engagement in risk-taking has been on the agenda for early childhood education for the past 10–15 years. At a time when some say the minority world has become overly risk averse, early childhood education aims to support confident, competent and resilient children through the inclusion of beneficial risk in early childhood education. The concept of risk is a complex phenomenon. Beneficial risk is engaging in experiences that take a person outside of their comfort zone and include outcomes that may be beneficial to learning, development and life satisfaction. To date, research on beneficial risk in early childhood has focused on children’s risk-taking in outdoor play. This focus has led to a predominant conceptualisation of beneficial risk in early childhood as an outdoor physical play activity for children. In this article, the authors problematise this conceptualisation. Drawing on both broad and early childhood education specific literature, the authors explore the curr...

Part of effective Early Childhood Education and Care is to support children's awareness of hazards and management of possible injuries during risky play. This study evaluated the attitudes of Norwegian kindergarten teachers towards 'Henry first aid training' and its impact on 3-6-year olds' understanding of first aid. 588 kindergarten employees completed an online survey and 50 children (26 boys and 24 girls) participated in semi-structured interviews gauging their knowledge of first aid before and after using Henry. These children's knowledge of first aid was compared to 46 children who had used Henry over a longer period. Survey results indicated strong enthusiasm among kindergarten teachers for the use of Henry. Children's understanding of first aid increased from pre-to post-interviews, t (43) = 8.878, p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.32. Findings are discussed in relation to the international scalability of Henry and the need for training kindergarten teachers and children in first aid. KEYWORDS First aid; Red Cross; risk play; Norwegian kindergarten An ongoing discussion in the early childhood literature revolves around the balance between risky and safe play for young children (Brussoni et al. 2015a; Waller et al. 2010). While the literature indicates many benefits of risky play for young children (Little and Eager 2010; Brussoni et al. 2015b; Sando, Kleppe, and Sandseter 2021), and children themselves show a preference for more challenging playground equipment to experience risk (Jongeneel, Withagen, and Zaal 2015), there is a continuous erosion of children's risky play in children's daily lives, with policies, regulatory frameworks and curricula designed to minimise risk experienced by children in natural environments (Little, Wyver, and Gibson 2011; Harper 2017). It is against this backdrop that educational organisations and professionals develop approaches that equip children with skills and knowledge to be more resilient towards possible injuries and thus enhance their risk management in play. This perspective is embedded in the approaches that aim to teach children first aid skills and increase their knowledge about injuries and health conditions. Our work identifies with this perspective, and in this paper, we

A consideration of the theoretical frameworks of outdoor play between different scholars who emphasised different approaches and points of emphasis to outdoor play reveals a common pattern of consensus as regards the benefits of outdoor play to childhood education, health and development. From Froebel to Smilansky, the variation in points of emphasis between the different theorists does not seem to deter or inhibit the fundamental message of the profound role of outdoor play in childhood education and development. Although play is generally seen in its beneficial values, an added dimension is also given to the 'green' aspects of play which finds a suiting echo in outdoor play. The context of the risk involved in outdoor play in the UK therefore leads us into a consideration of safety and risk within the context of outdoor play in the UK.