Abstract:
Since the 1980s children’s unsupervised outdoor risky play characterised by freedom, independence, and agency has been restricted amid concerns of “stranger danger” and injury. Alongside this, technology use has increased seeing a rewiring of childhood from play-based to screen-based (Haidt, 2024). Against this backdrop, student wellbeing has declined. While most focus is on the teenage years, primary students are not unaffected with increases in social anxiety (45%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (42%), peer relationship difficulties (39%), problematic screen use (36%), and educational and learning concerns (35%) (Australian Psychological Society, 2022).
While this seems dire all is not lost as research shows how and when we can intervene to mitigate the effect of these issues. Firstly, since we know restrictions on children’s outdoor risky play hinders children’s development, it is plausible that increasing children’s outdoor risky play supports healthy development. Secondly, we know that early childhood (generally defined as birth to 8 years of age) is a critical period of brain development and a time when intervention can change children’s outcomes and life trajectories. In Australia, this period covers the compulsory early years of school so strategically targeting this phase of schooling as a powerful intervention point makes sense. Lastly, we know Australian parents value play, with 72% believing there should be more play in the early years of school (Gonski Institute of Education, 2019). So what is stopping play being implemented in the early years of school?
This paper considers part of the answer to this question by focussing on parents and their views on play in schools, specifically risky play. During the session, the results of a parent survey that was administered as part of a larger study investigating the impact of a 10 week nature play program on Year One children’s wellbeing and engagement will be shared. The findings of this survey are important as they allude to a possible shift in parents thinking about risky play, from avoidance to seeing its benefits. These findings could prove useful in informing future research, and schools interested in implementing play-based pedagogies.
References
Australian Psychological Society. (2022, November 29). Aussie kids' mental health and wellbeing. Retrieved from Australian Psychological Society: https://psychology.org.au/for-members/news-and-updates/news/2022/aussie-kids-mental-health-and-wellbeing
Gonski Institute of Education. (2019). Conversation Kicker #1: An Hour of Play. UNSW.
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation. How the great rewiring of childhood is causing the epidemic of mental illness. Penguin.
While this seems dire all is not lost as research shows how and when we can intervene to mitigate the effect of these issues. Firstly, since we know restrictions on children’s outdoor risky play hinders children’s development, it is plausible that increasing children’s outdoor risky play supports healthy development. Secondly, we know that early childhood (generally defined as birth to 8 years of age) is a critical period of brain development and a time when intervention can change children’s outcomes and life trajectories. In Australia, this period covers the compulsory early years of school so strategically targeting this phase of schooling as a powerful intervention point makes sense. Lastly, we know Australian parents value play, with 72% believing there should be more play in the early years of school (Gonski Institute of Education, 2019). So what is stopping play being implemented in the early years of school?
This paper considers part of the answer to this question by focussing on parents and their views on play in schools, specifically risky play. During the session, the results of a parent survey that was administered as part of a larger study investigating the impact of a 10 week nature play program on Year One children’s wellbeing and engagement will be shared. The findings of this survey are important as they allude to a possible shift in parents thinking about risky play, from avoidance to seeing its benefits. These findings could prove useful in informing future research, and schools interested in implementing play-based pedagogies.
References
Australian Psychological Society. (2022, November 29). Aussie kids' mental health and wellbeing. Retrieved from Australian Psychological Society: https://psychology.org.au/for-members/news-and-updates/news/2022/aussie-kids-mental-health-and-wellbeing
Gonski Institute of Education. (2019). Conversation Kicker #1: An Hour of Play. UNSW.
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation. How the great rewiring of childhood is causing the epidemic of mental illness. Penguin.