Children’s use of environmental features affording risky play in early childhood education and care.

The purpose of the study is to identify how children use the physical environment, indoors and outdoors, for risky play. Physical environmental factors have been shown to be guides that influence children's play, including risky play.

The results showed that children often used loose materials such as wooden planks, tires and plastic boxes to create risky play opportunities. These materials contributed to varied and adaptable play. The recommendation is to include such loose materials in kindergarten areas to support children's healthy development through risky play.

The data material consists of observations and field notes from one kindergarten in Norway over a two-month period, consisting of 100 hours of observations over 33 days. The field notes were made using pen and paper and were recorded during or just after documented events. In addition, photos were taken to help recall observations and provide a visual representation of the findings.

Obee, P., Sandseter, E. B. H., & Harper, N. J. (2021). “Children’s use of environmental features affording risky play in early childhood education and care”. Early Child Development and Care, 191(16):2607-2625.