Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Risky Outdoor Play and Adventure Education in Nature for Child and Adolescent Wellbeing: A Scoping Review
All 40 studies in this scoping review linked nature-based risky play and adventure education with positive development, but parental anxiety and liability concerns still limit practice.
What's new
This scoping review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and synthesised 40 empirical studies (2015–2025), drawn from 5,218 references and conducted mostly in Western nations. It took a benefit-risk approach in which safety is 'as safe as necessary'. All studies reported positive associations across several developmental areas. Themes included resilience and confidence, wellbeing, physical skills, autonomy and agency, nature connectedness, quality play provision and educator influence. Authentic child agency and autonomy were key ways the benefits came about, and barriers included parental anxiety, institutional liability concerns and cultural risk aversion.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
The review's benefit-risk framing is relevant to schools and providers in Aotearoa balancing safety with the developmental value of challenge in EOTC. It also names the attitudes and system barriers that leaders and boards may need to address.
Putting it into practice
Use a benefit-risk assessment for adventurous activities that records the developmental benefits alongside the hazards, and share it with parents to address their concerns.
How strong is the evidence
This is a scoping review of studies that reported positive associations. The studies used varied methods, mostly came from Western nations, and the authors call for longitudinal and cross-cultural research.
What to read
The eight themes and the section on implementation barriers.