18. Risky Play & Boundaries

Risky Play 

• Risky play is play initiated by your child that explores their physical, mental, and emotional boundaries. Encouraged and monitored by their teacher, they will climb trees, boulders, and logs. The teacher and their classmates will talk them through climbing and support them as needed.  

• Guideline for your child: “Don’t climb higher than your teacher and use your hands. If you can climb up, you can climb down!”  

• We do not encourage rough play as this takes away opportunities to explore and build meaningful social interactions with one another and the environment around us. 

Boundaries 

• Children are taught boundaries right away. For example, they will learn a call that they will hear from the teacher that signifies that they have walked too far away from the group, to stop, and return to the group.  

• Guideline for your child: “If you can’t see your teacher, your teacher can’t see you.” Games like hide and seek or camouflage are still played but within boundaries.  

• Children learn proper methods for how to hold a stick or branch which ensures their friends around them are safe, and how to step on the bramble to avoid being pricked. Children will learn to check on their classmates and develop the skills to help one another in the outdoor environment.