Learning Story – Weledeh Catholic School – Risky Play

Session 2, The Week of October 9, 2024

What Happened?

Even though it had rained all night, and rain was still in the forecast, the students from Weledeh were excited to play outside and explore many different activities. The firekeepers joined Mr. Cory to learn how to start a fire, others helped get gravel to fill in the large holes from the rocks that had been removed on part of the trail, some helped Auntie Edna in the kitchen, and others worked on building a shelter. We noticed that the students were much more comfortable today. They are slowly building a relationship with the Land, which will continue to grow as they return each week to have new experiences.

During the morning circle, we discussed what risky play is and how we, as a group, can learn to manage risk. We asked them to reflect on their activities throughout the day and consider how they or their friends manage risk. From there, the students could participate in many types of risky play. They had the opportunity to gut and fillet fish and whittle, play Raven’s Nest, go hiking on the rocks, climb trees, chop wood, play log toss and start small pan fires.

Why is it Important?

Working with tools and hiding are two forms of “risky play.” Age-appropriate risky play is essential for healthy childhood development—mental, physical, and social. The excitement of testing our limits and trying something new when we do not know the outcome helps us develop self-confidence, self-awareness, a more accurate sense of real physical risk and decreased levels of anxiety.

Below are some examples of risky play with a physical risk of getting hurt. Raven’s Nest and Hide-and-go-seek are forms of “play with a chance of getting lost”; they create a feeling, even just for a few minutes, of being all alone, which can be thrilling and a little scary. Like all forms of risky play, safe boundaries must be clearly communicated, such as not continuing to hide once the game is done and not going so far away to be out of earshot.

Working with tools is another form of risky play that many students are very interested in. (The chopping wood station would have been open all day if the students had their way. As educators, it’s important to recognize when you can no longer support an activity for hours. When we, as educators, can convey this to students, we model a fundamental lesson: There is a vulnerability in the ability to say, ‘I need a break.’) Having the opportunity to work with tools increases fine motor skills, but it also builds self-control, helps with decision-making processes, and builds resilience. If we want to find ways to add this type of play to our days increasingly, children’s competence and capability help make them safe, and with that safety comes more opportunity. We empower them by teaching them how to be safe.

What Does This Mean For Next Time?

Each session of this program incorporates some aspect of risky play; both physical and emotional risk-taking are supported. Emotional risk-taking could include speaking, singing, or performing in front of a group, sharing difficult feelings, or inviting someone to play or become a new friend.

We teach kids to pay attention to the difference between nervous excitement (the “scary funny” feeling that takes us outside our comfort zones) and paralyzing fear that tells us we are pushing ourselves too far. Here are some examples of risky play that we support at Bushkids:

Play with heights, such as climbing trees or structures
Play at high speeds, such as a fast game of tag or riding a bike fast
Play with tools, such as chopping wood or whittling a stick
Play near elements, such as building a fire or playing near water, a cliff or a lake
Play with a chance of getting lost, such as wandering the neighbourhood with friends unsupervised or simply hiding in the bushes.
Rough-and-tumble play, such as rolling around and wrestling with each other

We will continue to follow the students’ lead and support the types of risky play they are interested in—right now, chopping wood, whittling, and cooking on a fire. We will also ask them why they feel it is important that they are given space to do this each week. What do they notice in themselves when they are given these opportunities?