A new research-backed tool has been developed to transform the evaluation of playgrounds and outdoor learning environments by acknowledging that certain risks can enhance a child’s development. This initiative, spearheaded by Professor David Eager at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), seeks to balance the benefits and dangers associated with children’s play activities.
Professor Eager, who has spent over 30 years in risk management and injury prevention, emphasizes that traditional approaches have focused excessively on eliminating risks. “For decades, play and education spaces have leaned heavily toward eliminating risk,” he states. This new tool empowers educators, parents, designers, and safety inspectors to consider both the dangers and developmental advantages of activities such as climbing nets and ropes courses.
Playgrounds that are too safe can be boring, says Professor Eager. He warns that when children are not adequately stimulated, they may seek out their own risks, which can lead to more dangerous situations. The tool is detailed in a recent paper titled “Risky Play Is Not a Dirty Word: A Tool to Measure Benefit–Risk in Outdoor Playgrounds and Educational Settings,” which appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
In a significant shift in thinking, the International Organisation for Standardisation published ISO 4980:2023 in 2023. This global standard now incorporates benefit-risk assessments in evaluating sports and recreational facilities, marking a departure from past models that prioritized injury prevention without considering the benefits of play.
The new assessment tool includes two 5×5 matrices to measure both benefits and risks. Decision-makers can calculate scores by multiplying likelihood ratings with potential positive or negative outcomes, facilitating a clearer comparison of which hazards may provide valuable learning opportunities and which should be eliminated due to lack of benefit.
Professor Eager notes that parents often focus on the immediate risks to their children, driven by a natural protective instinct. However, this can lead to over-caution and inadvertently restrict essential learning experiences. He asserts, “If the benefits, such as confidence, coordination, skill development and emotional resilience, outweigh the risks, and the hazards are not serious or can be minimized, then the activity may be worth allowing.”
As communities aim to create environments where children can flourish, this innovative approach will reshape the assessment of risks and benefits in playgrounds and educational settings moving forward. The collaborative research project was supported internally by UTS, Western Sydney University, and Macquarie University, and highlights the importance of fostering resilience and development through appropriately challenging play experiences.
