Category: Play-based

  • The Importance of Risk in Childhood

    The Importance of Risk in Childhood

    “Play is not just about having fun, but about taking risks, experimenting, and testing boundaries.” — American Academy of Pediatrics

    One of the greatest joys of being a Pre-K teacher at Kids at the Creek is watching my students engage in safe, risky play. This year I am blessed to teach a unique group of fourteen little learners—nine boys and five girls. As you can imagine, they certainly keep me on my toes! What I have learned through many years in early childhood education is that risky play, although sometimes uncomfortable for adults, is essential for children’s growth.

    What Is Risky Play?

    Research identifies several categories of risky play for preschoolers. Safe risky play leads to big learning and acts as a natural experiment as children test their environment and their own abilities. Here are four types of risky play that my students engage in regularly:

    • Great Heights (climbing)
    • Rough-and-Tumble Play
    • Power Play
    • Destructive Play (play with impact)

    Great Heights (Climbing)

    Risky climbing play teaches preschoolers important risk-assessment and decision-making skills. Children independently evaluate heights, distances, and their own physical limits. When your preschooler is climbing, they are using both the cognitive and executive parts of their brain. Climbing requires them to plan their next move, remember limb placement, and adapt to different environments. At Kids at the Creek, we love watching our brave preschoolers beam with pride as they master the climbing wall alongside their friends.

    Rough-and-Tumble Play

    Have you ever noticed your preschooler has a hard time keeping their hands to themselves? Rough-and-tumble play is actually an important part of development. During this kind of play, children are building social, emotional, and physical skills. While it may look chaotic to adults, children are learning how to balance competition with cooperation. They are also learning to read subtle non-verbal cues—like facial expressions and body language—which helps them tell the difference between playful and aggressive behavior.

    Power Play

    Power play happens when preschoolers explore feelings of strength, bravery, and control through play. On the playground at Kids at the Creek, both the boys and girls in my class enjoy this type of play. It may sound aggressive, but children are actually learning about fairness, boundaries, and managing big feelings. Power play can include pretending to be superheroes, roaring dinosaurs, zombies, or chasing each other while playing “good guys and bad guys.” Often, children are working through things they do not fully understand by acting them out through play.

    Destructive Play

    Crashing cars and trucks, knocking over towers, and taking things apart are examples of destructive play you might see in our classroom during free play. While the word destructive may sound concerning, this type of play helps preschoolers explore basic concepts of physics. Children are learning about gravity, motion, and cause and effect. By repeating these actions, they test the results of their choices again and again. When done safely, destructive play is an important part of learning and should not be viewed as bad behavior.

    A Moment to Observe

    The next time you are with your preschooler—at the playground, during a playdate, or at home—take a few minutes to simply observe how they are playing. Ask yourself if you can allow safe risky play without stepping in too quickly.

    One study suggests following the “17-second rule.” If you start to feel uneasy about how your child is playing, pause and observe for 17 seconds before intervening. You might support their thinking by asking questions such as:

    • “What’s your plan?”
    • “How will you do that?”
    • “Do you feel safe?”
    • “What do you notice?”

    Sometimes children just need a moment to test their ideas, solve problems, and discover what they are capable of doing.

    When we allow children the space to climb, tumble, experiment, and try again, we are not just letting them play—we are helping them build courage, confidence, and the lifelong ability to face challenges with resilience.

    By Amby Ellis > Teacher, KATC
    About the Author >  Amby Ellis is a Lead Teacher at Kids at the Creek (KATC), specializing in the 4-Hour Pre-K program. With years of experience guiding groups of active learners, Amby focuses on creating classroom environments where children feel brave enough to experiment and discover their own capabilities through safe, risky play.

    Author

    Frequently Asked Questions: The Importance of Risky Play

    1. What is “risky play” in early childhood education, and is it safe? According to Valerie Stiger, Director at KATC, risky play isn’t about putting children in danger; it is about “safe risky play.” This includes activities like climbing, rough-and-tumble play, and exploring heights. These acts serve as natural experiments where children test their physical limits and environment, helping them build essential risk-assessment skills in a supervised setting.

    2. Why should I let my preschooler climb and explore “great heights”? When a child climbs, they aren’t just playing—they are using the cognitive and executive parts of their brain. Climbing requires a child to plan their next move, remember limb placement, and adapt to their environment. At Kids at the Creek, we’ve found that mastering a climbing wall helps preschoolers build decision-making skills and a deep sense of personal confidence.

    3. Is rough-and-tumble play a sign of aggression in young children? Actually, it’s the opposite! Rough-and-tumble play is a vital developmental tool. It teaches children how to balance competition with cooperation and how to read non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language. This helps them distinguish between playful interaction and actual aggression, building emotional intelligence.

    4. What are the benefits of “power play” like pretending to be superheroes or “bad guys”? Power play allows children to explore feelings of strength, bravery, and control. Whether they are roaring like dinosaurs or playing “good guys vs. bad guys,” children use these scenarios to work through complex emotions and concepts they don’t yet fully understand. It is a safe way for them to learn about boundaries, fairness, and managing “big feelings.”

    5. Why do children enjoy “destructive play” like knocking over towers? While it may look like “bad behavior” to adults, crashing cars or knocking over blocks is actually an early physics lesson. Through destructive play, preschoolers explore gravity, motion, and cause-and-effect. By repeating these actions, they are testing the results of their choices and learning how the physical world works.

    6. How can parents support risky play without feeling anxious? Valerie Stiger recommends the “17-second rule”: if you feel uneasy about your child’s play, pause and observe for 17 seconds before intervening. Instead of stopping the play, ask supportive questions like, “What is your plan?” or “Do you feel safe?” This gives the child space to problem-solve and discover their own capabilities.

  • The Joy and Importance of Play

    The Joy and Importance of Play

    What is your favorite childhood memory?  It probably wasn’t the thrill of long division or the gripping drama of conjugating French verbs.  

    Most of us remember the “good stuff”: the flour-dusted kitchen with Grandma, the gritty good times in the sandbox, a high-stakes game of driveway basketball, or that time you lectured an audience of stuffed animals on the importance of spelling.  

    The Play Theory of Growing Up

    Play is essentially a child’s full-time job, but with better benefits and more glitter. It’s how they stitch together their home life with the big world outside. It is:

    • Fun (obviously)
    • Messy (usually involves mysterious stains)
    • Chaotic (RIP to your organized living room)
    • Emotional (from pure Oscar-winning drama to belly laughs)

    If you watch closely, you’ll see them imitating you! They’ll pace around with a play phone imitating your “work voice” with frightening accuracy. They’re “cooking” plastic grapes, scanning groceries, and launching Matchbox cars into low earth orbit. Every time they negotiate who gets to be the cashier or how to mix the perfect mud potion, their brains are sparking like a firework.

    All that repetition? That’s just “pre-gaming” for adulthood. When they’re 17, and you send them to the store for milk, they’ll handle it like a pro because they started “practicing” in their play kitchen years ago.

    Emotional Workout

    Play is an emotional workout as well. It’s a rollercoaster of “I’m the King of the Castle!” and “He took my blue truck!” Those big feelings are actually building the mental hardware they’ll need for adulthood.

    When a child works through the frustration of waiting five minutes for the “cool” red truck, they are actually training for the future. It’s the same mental muscle you use today when you’re stuck in a soul-crushing line at the DMV or waiting for the office copier to finish printing someone else’s 100-page report.

    Even those childhood dollhouse sessions with your neighbor friend were high-level training. The laughter and joy found in those simple moments are exactly why, as adults, we still prioritize coffee dates with our best friends to stay sane.

    The “Real World” Can Wait

    There is a very long window of being a “Responsible Adult.”  Decades to file your taxes, take out the garbage, and decide what’s for dinner tonight.  The window for pure, unadulterated play is short. Let them stay in the sandbox a little longer—the laundry isn’t going anywhere, but their childhood is on a fast track.

    Here at Kids At the Creek, we say “Let them play!”

    By Valerie Stiger > Director, KATC
    About the Author > Valerie Stiger is the Director of KATC. With a passion for childhood development and the “Play Theory of Growing Up,” Valerie advocates for the messy, chaotic, and essential joy of play. She believes that the lessons learned in a sandbox are just as vital as those learned in a classroom.

    Author

    Frequently Asked Questions about the Importance of Play

    1. Why is play considered a child’s “full-time job”? Play is much more than just entertainment; it is the primary way children process information and connect their home life to the outside world. Through play, children “pre-game” for adulthood by practicing real-life scenarios—like grocery shopping or cooking—which builds the cognitive and social “hardware” they will need as they grow up.

    2. How does pretend play help my child develop social skills? When children engage in imaginative play, they are practicing high-level negotiation and empathy. Whether they are deciding who gets to be the “cashier” or how to share a specific toy, they are building the mental muscles required for patience and cooperation. These early interactions are the foundation for maintaining adult friendships and professional relationships later in life.

    3. Can messy or chaotic play actually benefit my child’s brain development? Yes! While “mysterious stains” and a messy living room can be stressful for parents, chaotic play is a sign of a sparking brain. Repetitive, messy actions—like mixing “mud potions” or launching toy cars—are forms of experimentation. This type of play allows children to test boundaries, understand cause and effect, and express their emotions in a safe environment.

    4. What are the emotional benefits of “unstructured” playtime? Play serves as an emotional workout. When a child deals with the frustration of waiting for a turn or the joy of a successful game, they are training their brains to handle big feelings. Learning to manage “toddler drama” over a toy truck prepares them for the real-world frustrations of adulthood, such as waiting in long lines or handling workplace stress.

    5. Why is it important to let children “imitate” adults during play? Imitation is a vital learning tool. When you see a child using a “work voice” on a play phone or pretending to file taxes, they are internalizing the roles and responsibilities of the adults around them. This “practice” makes real-world tasks feel familiar and manageable by the time they reach their teenage years.

    6. Should I prioritize academic learning over playtime for my young child? While academics are important, the window for pure, unadulterated play is remarkably short. Research suggests that the skills learned in the sandbox—creativity, emotional regulation, and social negotiation—are just as critical for long-term success as formal lessons. Letting a child stay in the sandbox a little longer protects their childhood while building a foundation for lifelong sanity and resilience.