Outdoor risky play: a wildly successful and growing movement across the globe

Extensive research underscores the benefits of outdoor risky play experiences for children’s holistic growth and development, as well as the importance of nature-connectedness for health and wellbeing. This chapter aims to enhance the reader’s understanding of outdoor risky play provision and throw a spotlight on various nuanced interpretations of this growing movement, both globally and across interdisciplinary boundaries. In recent decades, the lost art of risk-taking in childhood has been growing in prominence. The purpose of this chapter is to bring together the key beneficial elements of play, especially when juxtaposed with our risk-adverse society. Physical activity, engaging with the natural world, and providing risk-taking opportunities are crucial for healthy development. When children engage with outdoor risky play spaces, their innate drive is to swing, slide, balance, and climb. Play spaces should therefore be designed to be adventurous and educational while also seeking to reinvigorate children’s minds, bodies, and spirits. Although the physical benefits of outdoor risky play are not always immediately visible, we instantly witness the profound positive impact on mood states and attention restoration levels. In this chapter, we briefly introduce the pioneering new international standard that encapsulates risk management in sports and recreational facilities, outdoor activities, and equipment: ISO 4980:2023 Benefit-Risk Assessment. We conclude with a brief overview of the contextual landscape of the edited monograph and a brief overview of chapters contained in sections of the book. Our hope is for this book to inspire educators, parents, researchers, and interdisciplinary fields to embrace risk and challenge in outdoor play.