We have
a new sand pit at my kindergarten. It's funny but when I first saw it taking
shape, after the enormous hole was dug with an excavator and the pink granite
boulders were being positioned I thought about how beautiful and inviting it
was. I felt excited for the opportunities that it would present to enhance
children's play.
However,
many parents felt quite differently, reacting to the boulders as a safety
hazard. The sand pit was not even finished when they began raising their
concerns. There was still an orange bunting fence around it and the landscaper
had not yet filled in all of the potential 'entrapment' holes. The rocks had to
be laid like a jigsaw puzzle, and the sand would be filled to come right up to
the top of the rocks, submerging much of the rock's 'dangerous' surfaces.
But still the fears
remained. What if their children fell and landed on a rock? A sharp and
hard one, none the less. What if they fell off a rock and broke their arm? Or
cracked their head open on the edge of a rock? What if indeed?
Our
playground is full of risk. It is a safe environment but there are
concrete paths, logs, timber edging, rocks and trees and verandah posts
that all pose hazards to young children, especially when running, as they
constantly do. We have two enormous Liquid Amber trees that leave their spiky
and prickly fruits all over the ground and there are uneven
surfaces and high climbing frames and a fort that can be climbed on, even up to
it's roof. The children do have occasional minor accidents,
usually it is equipment based (hitting someone on the head with a plastic
spade) or from running and falling over. We provide an environment that
encourages children to explore and play and experience risk in a managed way. I
am passionate about children's play, and I believe that it is critical to get
them outdoors, exploring and learning, testing boundaries and working things
out for themselves. How else does a child learn what a boulder is like if they
never get to sit or climb on one.
I have shared some research on the topic and I invite you to explore this
further, and share your thoughts on the matter.
Play is a vital part of
childhood and growing up. Children learn through play to develop social,
physical and emotional skills. Providing children with an outdoor learning
environment that incorporates areas for quiet, natural, creative, active and
stimulating play will allow children to learn whilst using their imagination.
By inviting a child to use their initiative and explore possibilities we
provide them with the best opportunities to learn.
The National Quality
Standard for Early Childhood Education states a requirement for outdoor
spaces to include natural elements and materials which allow for multiple
uses.
The
prevention of serious injury is an important consideration in playground
provision. However, safety considerations also need to be balanced with
children's needs for play, learning and fun in the playground.
There
is a growing body of research that highlights the benefits for children when
play environments provide risk and challenge. There is also corresponding
evidence of negative outcomes when children are not given such opportunities;
and that striving for 'risk free' playgrounds can actually diminish learning
and development opportunities.
In addition to
defining areas such as a sandpit or dry creek bed, rocks and boulders provide
opportunities for challenging and fun play, and add to the natural materials
used in playspaces. Children’s balancing skills are tested when they make their
way along a boulder border or use the boulders as stepping stones. The boulders
can also be a good place to sit and rest, talk or watch. Cleverly
arranged rocks and boulders are safe. Children have a healthy respect for the
solidity and hardness of rocks and boulders and develop their own sense of
care, concern, and safety when they climb on them. Rocks and Boulders - Kidsafe NSW
A child
who has always been allowed to move freely develops not only an agile body but
good judgment about what he can and cannot do. Developing good body image,
spatial relations and a sense of balance helps the child learn not only how to
move but also how to fall and how to recover. Children raised this way hardly
have serious accidents.
I
have come to realize that the reason I detest "be careful" so much is
because 99% of the time it is said to make the person saying it feel
better/safer about the situation! It is usually said out of distraction,
absentmindedly, out of not being truly present with our
children.
