Risky Play is Good For Your Children, New Study Reveals

Parents, put away the bubble wrap and the cotton wool, and let your kids run free, says a new study…

For those of us who have willingly and joyfully procreated, being a perfect parent is a quest for the holy grail. And shouldn’t protecting our young’uns from all the vicissitudes and risks of daily life be a part and parcel of that quest? Well, not so much, says a new study recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Conducted by University of British Columbia in Vancouver (UBC) and the Child & Family Research Institute at British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, the study has concluded that letting our kids get risky-frisky outside of the domestic cocoon actually makes them healthier, sturdier and smarter. Study co-author Mariana Brussoni, a developmental psychologist and injury prevention researcher at UBC, says:

Engaging in risky play increased physical activity, it decreased sedentary behavior, and it promoted social health and behaviour. . . We found that play environments where children could take risks promoted increased play time, social interactions, creativity and resilience. These positive results reflect the importance of supporting children’s risky outdoor play opportunities as a means of promoting children’s health and active lifestyles.