Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Articulating outdoor risky play in early childhood education: voices of forest and nature school practitioners
Interviews with ten forest and nature school practitioners explore how they define and manage risky play, and how they handle tensions with regulatory policy.
What's new
The researchers interviewed ten early childhood forest and nature school practitioners. They asked how practitioners describe outdoor risky play, their teaching practices around risk, and how they navigate tensions between regulatory policies and the practice they would ideally like. The paper brings practitioners' voices into the literature and makes recommendations for practice.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Nature-based early childhood programmes are part of the outdoor learning landscape in Aotearoa. Practitioners here face similar questions about balancing the benefits of risky play against regulation.
Putting it into practice
In an early childhood or junior school team, discuss how you each define acceptable risk in outdoor play. Note where regulations shape your practice.
How strong is the evidence
This is a small qualitative interview study with ten practitioners. The abstract does not state the country or summarise the specific findings.
What to read
The findings and the recommendations for practice.