une O'Sullivan, CEO of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) nursery group, which runs LEYF Bushy Tails Nursery and Pre-School in Teddington, has discussed the importance of risky play for young children with Professor Ellen Sandester, from Queen Maud University College for Early Childhood Education in Trondheim, Norway on the Talking Early Years podcast the organisation hosts.

Speaking about risky play and the podcast episode, O'Sullivan said: " Risky play is adventurous, challenging play where children test their abilities, manage uncertainty and learn to judge risk for themselves. We confuse it with danger. But danger is always there but it is different to risk. Children seek risk in their play, they know they can be injured or harmed but still take and assess those risks.

"What children need to be able to do is distinguish between those two concepts, because there will always be opportunities to take a risk and judge those against their own competencies. The research suggests that positive risk is something that fosters well-being, mastering experiences, exhilaration and thrills.

"She notes that when she talks to children about risk, they describe it as scary, funny or fearful joy, almost existential experiences that build self-confidence and courage.

"We limit this by creating a fearful, risk averse litigious society, keeping children indoors or managing their playtime through adult-supervised activities.

"But, "in fact, risky play has an anti-phobic effect where children have managed their fears during childhood through play.

"For example, children who climbed a tree and fell down and broke a leg don't have a fear of heights when they're older, but those who never climbed the tree do."

O'Sullivan explained that "LEYF recently had a big conversation as to whether it should change the term from 'risky play' to 'adventurous' or 'challenging play' "to reduce parents' anxieties".

"We tried to balance the issues of children's rights to be creative and imaginative with the false joy from the increased digitalisation of play," she said.

"It elicited quite a lot of debate which we discussed including a review of how we design the children's gardens for outdoor play."

LEYF Bushy Tail's Pre-School Room Manager and Marketing Lead, Kirandeep Mahi, told Nub News: "Risky play is a natural and essential part of early childhood learning.

"It refers to challenging, exciting experiences where children test their abilities, explore uncertainty, and learn to manage real‑world risks safely.

"It is not about exposing children to hazards; it is about offering manageable, developmentally appropriate risk that helps them grow.

"In practice, risky play includes experiences such as climbing to new heights, moving at speed, using real tools with supervision, exploring natural elements, and engaging in rough‑and‑tumble play.

"These moments feel thrilling for children, but they are carefully supported by practitioners who remove hazards while allowing appropriate challenges."

This is how risky play supports development according to LEYF Bushy Tails:

• Physical development — Children build balance, coordination, core strength, and spatial awareness through climbing, running, and navigating uneven terrain.
• Cognitive development — Risky play strengthens problem‑solving, decision‑making, and risk assessment skills as children learn to judge what feels safe and what feels too challenging.
• Emotional development — Experiences of excitement, uncertainty, and small setbacks help children develop resilience, confidence, and self‑regulation.
• Social development — Children negotiate boundaries, communicate, collaborate, and build trust with peers during shared risky play experiences.

Research consistently shows that children who engage in risky play demonstrate greater confidence, stronger problem‑solving skills, and improved emotional wellbeing. They become "risk‑literate," learning how to keep themselves safe rather than relying solely on adults.

Mahi added: "Educators play a crucial role in supporting risky play by recognising the difference between risk and hazard.

"A risk is a challenge children can see, understand, and learn to navigate whereas a hazard is a hidden or uncontrolled danger that must be removed.

"Supporting risky play safely is about creating environments where children can explore challenge with confidence, while practitioners provide thoughtful, responsive guidance.

"It is not about removing all risk; instead, it is about removing hazards and giving children the space to develop their own risk awareness and decision‑making skills."

Mahi said that educators can support risky play by:

• Thoughtful supervision — staying close enough to support, but far enough to let children try, test, and problem‑solve independently.
• Risk–benefit assessments — considering not only what might go wrong, but also what children gain from the experience.
• Modelling safe behaviour — showing children how to climb, balance, carry tools, or move at speed with control.
• Using language that empowers — asking questions like "What's your plan?" or "How does your body feel on that step?" to help children tune into their own safety cues.
• Creating environments that challenge — offering uneven ground, natural materials, climbing opportunities, and open spaces that invite exploration.

According to LEYF Bushy Tails, supporting risky play safely means striking a balance between protection and autonomy. Children need opportunities to:

• Climb high enough to feel proud
• Move fast enough to feel exhilarated
• Explore natural elements deeply enough to feel connected
• Use tools carefully enough to feel capable

LEYF Bushy Tails says that one of the most powerful outcomes of risky play is that children learn to keep themselves safe. It explained that practitioners can support this by:

• Encouraging children to check stability ("Give it a wobble — does it feel steady?")
• Helping them plan their next step ("Where will your foot go next?")
• Supporting peer collaboration ("Can you help each other find a safe way down?")
• Naming emotions ("It feels a bit wobbly — that's your body telling you to slow down.")

"This builds self‑regulation, confidence, and resilience, turning risky play into a foundation for lifelong safety skills," said Mahi.

She added: "Safe risky play thrives in settings where children feel trusted and educators feel confident. When adults show belief in children's abilities, children rise to the challenge — climbing a little higher, balancing a little longer, and discovering what their bodies can do."

You can listen to O'Sullivan's full podcast episode with Sandester here.

LEYF Bushy Tails encourages risky play and hopes to take its children on risky play-themed trips.

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