By Joleen Chan
We are the children of St. James’ Church Kindergarten (Leedon) and we are here to tell you more about risky play! You may have seen us playing in school, but you may not have known that we are taking risks in our play. As the name tells us, risky play involves risks where there is a possibility of us getting hurt or injured as we play. But, through this, we are also learning!
What is risky play?
Risky play can be defined as any activity that is thrilling or exciting for children. There may be a risk of physical injury in risky play, but it offers chances for us to push ourselves. It focuses on testing limits and learning about boundaries as we challenge ourselves with fun and interesting activities where we are trusted to explore the risks involved. This provides us opportunities for learning and problem solving.
Of course, risky play is not engaging in dangerous and reckless behaviour. Our teachers are there to ensure our safety while we step out of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves physically and mentally.
How can we engage in risky play?
Risky play can have many different forms and involve loose parts. You may wonder, what are loose parts? They include tires, balancing beams, ropes, climbing cubes and gym mats. Unlike slides or see-saws, loose parts do not have a fixed purpose and can be moved around freely to create structures to climb on or hide in!
Here are 3 things we learn by taking risks:
1. We become curious and confident learners
When we were first introduced to risky play, our teachers took us to a playground with all the loose parts. We were so curious and excited to play!
We tried out different set ups and one of our friends exclaimed, “This is so much fun! I can move everything around!” We explored climbing high, hiding in the tyres, and challenged ourselves with the balancing beams. Sometimes we felt scared but watching our friends having fun encouraged us to give it a go. It wasn’t so scary after all!
2. We investigate, imagine and explore ideas
We were able to let our imagination flow as we explored the different possibilities and combinations of each loose part. What if we made a swing… a slide… or an obstacle course? So many what-ifs that we could put into action!
For example, after rounds of trial and error, we finally achieved a stable structure to support the balancing beam. We even placed a mat at the bottom just in case we fell! Managing our movements safely, we climbed up and jumped off! So brave right?
Each of our classes were also challenged to build a swing with the materials we were given. It was not easy problem solving. Although the swings were not successful, we had the opportunity to work as a class to try out different combinations to find out which material works best for our structure.
We didn’t just build swings but slides too! It was wobbly, but we all managed to safely slide down by ensuring that we stay low and had at least three points of contact with the structure. Are we good enough to be playground designers?
We also created an obstacle course where we had to jump over stacked tyres. For our friends who were a little scared, we encouraged them by creating a shorter stack of tyres.
Little did we know that while we were moving the tyres around, we were exploring and investigating the science concept of cause and effect! We observed how our actions affected the movement of the tyres and were able to observe the movements of the tyres too!
3. We get back up when we fall
Roald Dahl once said, “The more risks you allow your children to make, the better they learn to look after themselves.”
We may fall, but we learned to stand back up again. We may fail, but we learned to try again.
When we engage in risky play, we are not just having fun. We are strengthening our muscles and motor control; learning to problem-solve and manage risks! When we succeed, oh what an achievement it is for us!
To find out more about our preschools and curriculum, visit https://sjck.org.sg.
