I was really surprised to hear that riskier playgrounds are more beneficial for children than keeping them indoors. I remember hearing in the news that parents were increasingly concerned about their children’s safety outside and while I suspected that there was something wrong with that line of thinking, I had no recourse to argue against it. The worry over sending children out on their own plays into a fear of the unknown. For a prospective teacher, this anxiety is heightened by the fact that we will be placed in a position of responsibility. Knowing that some element of risk is actually beneficial for child development goes a long way toward quelling that concern.

It’s also refreshing to hear that children are more active outdoors. I remember being young and going out adventuring with my friends. It therefore makes sense to encourage children to play outdoors. The solution can be as simple as taking whatever activities you had intended to do indoors and do them outside. It would also be nice to find activities to do that require being outside like hiking or perhaps visiting a petting zoo.