Risks vs Hazards!
Madeleine LaPlante, Special Educator
As a college student, I spent a summer working as a “Creativity Connector” at the Providence Children’s Museum. During my time there, I learned a lot about the importance of free play for children and how essential it is in their development. Not only is free play important in facilitating a child’s creativity and imagination, but it is endlessly beneficial for their social/emotional development, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities.
Free Play
As adults, our role in free play changes from situation to situation. Sometimes our role is to be a facilitator; we set up scenarios that lead children into creative free play. This could look like dumping out blocks and setting up the start of a castle. When the child discovers your setup, they might decide to knock it down and make their own unique creation, or they might build off of it to turn it into their own masterpiece. In this situation, the adult’s role is only to get the ball rolling and then encourage the child to take the play in whatever direction they want. Creating opportunities for this type of free play is especially important for younger learners. Other times, the adult’s job is to be a mirror; we follow the child’s lead, copying their actions without leading them in any specific direction. Sometimes this looks like parallel play where the adult and child aren’t really interacting, but they’re independently doing the same activity in close proximity, the adult mimicking the child. Other times, this could involve engaging and participating with the child, but letting them take control; following along if they say, “We’re going to play restaurant, I’m going to be the chef and you’re going to be the customer,” or “Let’s play dinosaurs, pretend the couch is a volcano!”
The Supervisor
Our final role as an adult in free play is sometimes the hardest – being just the supervisor. As the supervisor, your job is to watch over the play and assess the risks versus the hazards. According to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (CMOSC), a risk is, “a challenge or uncertainty that a child can recognize in their environment and determine whether to engage with it or not.” Take monkey bars, for example. They are inherently risky! If a child chooses to go on monkey bars, they can recognize the risk that they could fall and get hurt. As a parent or an educator, it can be second nature to tell our kids to “Be careful!” or tell them they shouldn’t try something just because there’s a possible risk (being unsuccessful or getting hurt). However, when we allow children to self-manage their risks, they develop an awareness of their abilities and learn to make judgments for themselves. Without ever being exposed to “risky play,” a child may never learn what they’re really capable of! Recognizing potential hazards is where our job as supervisors comes into play. If we’re at a playground and we notice the monkey bars are broken and unsafe, of course, we should intervene and not allow the child to use them. When something is hazardous, “it is a danger in the environment that is beyond [a] child’s understanding and can result in severe injury or endangerment” (CMOSC). It’s our job as an adult to assess if our children’s play is actually hazardous and needs to be halted, or if it’s just risky and we need to take a step back and trust in our child’s capabilities.
Risk Play and Complex Learners
When it comes to our Complex Learners, this might sound easier said than done. What’s only “risky” for a typical child might truly be “hazardous” for a child with gross motor challenges or delayed processing, for example. As the supervisor, it’s our job to know our kids and understand their needs. As a special educator, I have a strong sense of what my students are capable of and what might be more difficult for them. I am constantly using my best judgment to determine if a child really shouldn’t be doing something, or if I should trust in their abilities and intuition enough to let them try. There is always the possibility that they could fail, but I am constantly impressed with the things a child can accomplish when given the opportunity. It’s natural, instinctive even, to want to bubble wrap our children and keep them away from any possible threat, but when we’ve done our job of eliminating the hazards, it’s okay to let our children engage in “risky” play. The benefits outweigh the potential risks!
Risk Play At Home
Here are some ways you can incorporate risk play with your Complex Learner at home:
- Allow your child to make a mess! When children are allowed to create without the limit of keeping things tidy, they’ll blow your mind with the things they can make – almost everything is washable!
- Instead of saying, “Be careful!” ask your child, “Do you feel safe doing that?” This helps them recognize risks for themselves and think about how they’re actually feeling while doing something, rather than just an empty reminder to be careful.
- Remove potential hazards (sharp objects, choking hazards, dangerous chemicals, etc.) and let your child play “unsupervised.” Of course, we never really leave our children unattended, but don’t be afraid to take a step back and let your child play on their own without you by their side every step of the way.
- Before asking a child to stop because they’re using something beyond its intended purpose or doing something in an unconventional way, think about why you’re telling them to stop. Is it because it’s actually hazardous and could cause harm in a way that the child can’t see? Or is it simply because they’re doing something we’re not used to seeing? Is there actually anything wrong with sitting on a (sturdy) table? No! I naturally gravitate to leaning against or sitting on the table all the time while I’m teaching, so why would I then tell my students that they can’t do it too?!
Risk play might sound a little risky but it’s a great demonstration of what kids can do when they’re given a little freedom! Just as we encourage our children to not be afraid to try something new, it’s important for adults to take a similar mindset. Yes, it may give you a few extra gray hairs but the value of trusting your child to take those risks and grow from the experience is worth it! Want to get notified when there’s a new World of Complex Learners blog post?