Messy, risky outdoor play is important for children, but adults can stop them enjoying it

Are adults unintentionally limiting children’s risk-taking outdoors?

PeopleImages/ShutterstockThere is growing evidence that children today have fewer opportunities for independent, adventurous outdoor play and fewer chances to make decisions and shape their own experiences than previous generations.

Just 43% of children and young people aged from eight to 15 in England report spending time outdoors every day or most days. Research suggests that outdoor play has declined by 50% within a generation.

Despite this decline, outdoor play is still often viewed as an opportunity for children to learn to manage risk and develop both their confidence and independence.

My research explored how children make decisions when playing outside. The findings suggested that when young children hold back and resist risky play outdoors, it is rarely because they lack confidence or even access. Instead, they are responding to the subtle messages adults convey about risk, mess and safety.

I carried out the research in a school, in collaboration with a nursery teacher. Our participants were children aged three to five who were enrolled in nursery and reception, meaning the school’s outdoor environment was familiar to them.

We combined observations of children’s play with small focus groups in which children took photographs to show what they liked and disliked about their outdoor environment. From these early conversations with the children, recurring patterns emerged. These children tended to avoid areas they associated with discomfort or danger, such as mud, water and climbing equipment, even though these spaces were familiar to them and adults were not restricting their access.

Children expressed things such as “I might fall”, “I don’t want to get wet”, and “My teacher doesn’t let me”. These were not spontaneous fears; they reflections of the messages the children had repeatedly heard from adults.

During our observations, we heard staff within the setting sometimes offering cautions such as “be careful”, “don’t climb too high”, and “watch out” during the children’s free play within the outdoors environment.

During our follow-up conversations with the children, they also described similar warnings from parents and carers. One child explained, “My mum doesn’t let me climb because I bumped my nose once”. These repeated messages had a lasting impact on how the children perceived risk. Over time, they absorbed these warnings and began to guide their own behaviour. Their hesitancy was learned, not innate.

Based on the children’s feedback and our observations, the school made changes to the outdoor environment. Staff reorganised equipment in the outdoor area so children could reach and use it more easily, and they began talking about risk in a more supportive way.

The school created a risk‑management plan and shared it with the children so they understood what was safe and what they could try for themselves. Adults also started pausing before stepping in and used language that signalled trust: “have a go and see how it feels first”, “I’m here if you need me”, or “what’s your plan for climbing that?” rather than “be careful” or “don’t go too high”.

They also added aprons to areas children had previously avoided because they didn’t want to get messy, helping them feel more comfortable exploring those spaces.

Teachers play a crucial part in encouraging outdoor play for children.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Within weeks, children began using areas they had avoided previously, taking more physical risks and engaging in richer sensory play. They were getting muddy, experimenting with water and exploring different textures and materials.

We saw children choosing what they wanted to do outdoors, including climbing frames and using the mud kitchen they had previously avoided. They became more assured and more willing to explore, with their play increasingly driven by their own interests rather than adult direction.

Letting children take risks

This matters because risk taking is not just about climbing higher or running faster. It is central to how children develop confidence and build problem-solving skills and a sense of who they are. When children never get the chance to test their ideas, push their bodies or make small mistakes, they miss out on experiences that build resilience and agency.

Many adults want children to be brave yet also want them to stay safe and clean. These two desires often collide. A child who hesitates at the top of a slide may not be lacking courage – they may simply be trying to avoid disappointing an adult who dislikes mess or worries about injuries.

Supporting children’s risk taking doesn’t mean stepping back entirely. It means being intentional about the messages we send. Neither does supporting children’s ability to make decisions mean handing over unlimited choice to them. However, adults can support this by:

Reframing risk as learning, not danger.
Pausing before intervening, giving children time to assess situations themselves.
Allowing mess, recognising it as part of sensory and emotional development.
Using language that signals trust, such as “I’m here if you need me” rather than “be careful”.
Offering meaningful choices, allowing children to make decisions and develop confidence in their own judgment.

These small shifts help children feel capable rather than cautious. They also counter the growing cultural narrative that childhood should be clean, controlled and risk free.
Rebekah Gear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Tags: Academic Journalism, The Conversation, The Conversation Academic News