Studies reveal how risky play can benefit child development. But encouraging it can be a challenge for parents.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.dk/post/9969468

From the article:

Risky play is associated with greater resilience, self-confidence, problem-solving and social skills such as cooperation, negotiation and empathy, according to studies by Sandseter and others. When a study in Leuven, Belgium, gave four- and six-year-olds just two hours a week of opportunities for risky play over the course of three months, their risk-assessment skills improved compared with those of children in a control group2. In this study, the risky play took place at school, in a gym class and in the classroom.

  • Green@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    7 hours ago

    It’s not just riskier play. It’s independence as a whole. Look at how many people let their young children go to school or the park or a friend’s house on their own. Ours appears to be the most independent in the classroom - and by a good margin. That shouldn’t be the case.

    I don’t want to raise someone that needs their hand held through their day. The skills we impart in the single digit years will last a lifetime. They ought to be versatile.