Christophe Haubursin and Gina Barton at Vox:
For decades, US playground designers have worked on minimizing risk by reducing heights, softening surfaces, and limiting loose parts. But now, some are starting to experiment with creating risk: A growing body of research has found that risky outdoor play is a key part of children’s health, promoting social interactions, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience.
The linked article above is really just a super short introduction to their video about “adventure playgrounds.” In the video, there is a very clarifying distinction made between risks and hazards:
A risk isn’t the same thing as a hazard. When you’re climbing a tall tree, a rotten branch is a hazard: the threat is unexpected. But how high you climb is a risk: it’s manageable, and requires you to actively make a decision.
I love this distinction. It eloquently describes something that I have struggled to articulate myself for quite some time. My goal as a teacher has always been to create environments that minimize hazards so that my students feel safe enough to take risks.
Later in the video, there is another point made that totally resonates with me:
The idea behind all these design elements is that kids respond well to being treated seriously: if they’re presented with risky items with a serious functional purpose, they’ll respond cautiously and conduct more experimentation. But if presented with an overly safe, static space, they often wind up seeking dangerous thrills that the built environment fails to provide, which can result in higher injury rates than risky play at adventure playgrounds.