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As a parent, it can be scary to let your children engage in activities that seem dangerous, like climbing trees, riding bikes, or playing rough. But research shows that taking age-appropriate risks through play is actually crucial for children's development - physically, cognitively and emotionally.

When we talk about "risky play", we don't mean putting kids in harm's way. Rather, it's about giving them opportunities to test their limits, problem-solve, and build confidence in a relatively safe environment with adult support and supervision. Risky play helps kids develop important skills like risk assessment, body awareness, and emotional self-regulation.

But where do we draw the line between healthy risk-taking and dangerous behavior? How can we scaffold risky play experiences so kids progress at an appropriate pace? And what role should we play as parents and caregivers?

Whether your child is cautious by nature or an impulsive daredevil, I hope this episode will give you a new perspective on letting kids take risks through play. Let's jump in!

In this episode you'll hear about:

• Executive Functioning Definition: skills required to start, persist, and complete tasks
• Importance in daily functioning and personal growth
• Response inhibition (impulsivity) and its development in children
• Role in safety evaluation and decision-making
• Risky Play as defined by the Canadian Pediatric Society
• Eight different types of risky play
  • Playing at heights
  • playing at speed
  • play involving tools
  • play involving potentially dangerous elements
  • rough and tumble play
  • play with risk and disappearing or getting lost
  • play involving impacts
  • vicarious play
• Progression of risky play (e.g., playing at height and speed)
• Importance of teaching children to recognize and evaluate potential dangers
• Need for supervision and teaching response inhibition
• Gradual progression in allowing children to engage in risky play
• Risky Play vs. Dangerous Play
• Varies from person to person
• Families need to evaluate it for themselves
• Personal examples (trampoline for gaga ball and games like Deadman)
• Benefits of Risky Play
• Positive contribution to child development (e.g., response inhibition and emotional control)
• Vicarious play: watching others engage in risky play and modeling behavior
• Accepting children's current skills while allowing for growth and development
• Resources available through the homeschool OT community
• Strategies for Supporting Risky Play
• Observation, communication, and setting boundaries
• Providing opportunities for practice and evaluation
• Supporting and observing children's play, communicating openly
• Implementing safety measures for various activities (e.g., bike riding, using tools, playing near fire)
• Adapting Risky Play for Different Needs
• Multi-age play and accommodating different children's needs
• Using walkie-talkies in games or providing spaces for safe impact activities
• Developing children's sensory input, body awareness, and executive functioning skills while maintaining safety

Links and Resources From Today's Show

• Why Should I Seek Occupational Therapy?
• Board Games to Teach Executive Functioning
• Executive Functioning Group from Homeschool OT
• Reverse Planning Guide for Homeschool Families
• The OT is IN Membership
• Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World
• Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
• Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children
• Eight Types of Risky Play, Navigating the balance with injury prevention
• Episode 12- Executive Functioning in Homeschooling: A Teenager's Experience with Organization and Planning
• Episode 25- Understanding Hippotherapy: Therapeutic Equestrian Activities for Children's Development
• Episode 26- Sensory Safe Evacuation: Preparing for Emergencies with Kids' Sensory Needs in Mind
• Episode 27- Preserving Childhood in a Digital World: Greta Eskridge's Expertise for Families