Tune into our podcast interview with April's researchers of the month here.

As well as providing numerous opportunities for exploration, joy, and expression, outdoor and adventurous play - the type of play that allows children to take age-appropriate risks - is associated with a range of positive health behaviours and outcomes. Yes, we're talking about the kind of play that might leave us adults with our hearts in our mouths at times, as children start to disappear up a tree, or engage in a rough and tumble game of chase. But its benefits are wide-ranging and known impacts include increased levels of habitual physical activity alongside better mental health and positive mood.

In 2019, Dr Hesketh was involved in the creation of physical activity guidelines in the UK, which explicitly note the importance of outdoor play for children in the preschool age group. We know quite a lot about the play habits of school-aged children, but until now, have had significantly less data on their younger counterparts.

Our Researchers of the Month, Dr Kathryn Hesketh and Professor Helen Dodd set out to discover how much time preschool-aged children spend playing in a range of indoor and outdoor spaces, and how adventurously they are playing within them. In the first national survey of play in children of this age, they asked over 1000 parents of two to four year olds about their children’s play habits, finding that, on average, children aged two to four spend around four hours per day (outside of educational settings) playing. Just under 50% of this was spent playing outdoors. Their findings shed interesting light on some inequalities in play, even in the youngest age group, which may exacerbate existing inequalities in health.

Summary

The survey showed that preschool-aged children living in Britain spend, on average, more time playing inside than they do outside, with the majority of play happening inside at home.

Outdoor play most often takes place in gardens or in other outside space at home, followed by playgrounds and in green space. Indoor play centres were also found to offer opportunities for adventurous play. The researchers also found that children living in rural areas play outside more than those living in urban areas, and also that white children tend to play outdoors more than those from ethnic minority groups. One of the survey’s most interesting findings is that preschool-aged girls spend much less time playing outdoors than boys. The British Children’s Play Survey of children aged five to 11 has already found similar (perhaps more expected) gender differences, but seeing stark disparities at this very young age surprised and shocked our researchers. As girls get older, their physical activity levels are generally less than boys of the same age. These findings indicate that girls are in a position of disadvantage from a very early age, with potential physical and mental health consequences.

"We were quite surprised by these findings – it’s concerning that at age two, we’re already seeing these differences in the time that boys and girls play outdoors in nature. Older children tend to be socialised to particular gender roles, and girls may then spend less time playing outside in nature. We didn’t expect to see this pattern as early as age two and given the link between playing outdoors and physical activity, girls may already be at a disadvantage very early in life.” (Dr Kathryn Hesketh, 2024)

The study does not explore reasons for these differences, but previous research indicates that they may be driven by a broad range of factors, such as the availability of local green space, exclusion from green space on the grounds of race, differential emphasis on academic learning versus unstructured play, and parenting pressures.

So why does all of this matter?

Well, risky play and adventurous play helps children to develop necessary life skills, explore risk-taking in a relatively safe environment and develop strong decision making and coping skills. Playing in this way can help to arm children with an anxiety toolkit. Early exposure to low-level feelings of fear and excitement, and to situations where they feel a little bit uncertain, give children opportunities to practise coping, and allow them to discover what physiological sensations of arousal (like butterflies or a racing heart) feel like. It can help them to realise that when they experience butterflies again, in a non-play environment, nothing bad will happen, which can make them more resilient to inevitable feelings of anxiety as they grow, and gives them confidence in their own judgement. Offering children the chance to engage in adventurous play, which normally occurs outside, is vital.

The study shows that at a policy level, there is important work and thinking needed around access to outdoor play spaces. A significant body of research indicates that not everyone feels welcome in these spaces, and some people have trouble accessing them. It’s vital to ensure that outdoor, natural spaces are available and welcoming for everybody.

Implications

"The results highlight inequalities in play even in the youngest age group, which may exacerbate existing inequalities in health." (Professor Helen Dodd and Dr Kathryn Hesketh, 2024)

Implications for parents

Let's try to consider how we might provide play opportunities, but also when we might inhibit play. Some children gravitate towards the adults present during play and miss out on the social elements of play with peers. Be mindful of this. It's important to both facilitate play opportunities with peers, and play with children ourselves.

Reflect on any anxieties you may have about your child’s involvement in adventurous play and whether or not these might be limiting. It’s healthy and normal to feel anxious about your child getting hurt during adventurous or risky play. But remember, what we do with any feelings of anxiety is impactful. Questions to consider might be: Do I encourage my child to take age-appropriate risks which might benefit them? If I always seek to protect them, what strategies might I use to give them a little more freedom? Could I allow them a little more time to make their own decision before intervening? If I know that I am particularly anxious about this kind of play, is there another adult in the family who is well positioned to take them on an adventure?

As children get older, empower them to understand that they can make good decisions. By the age of four, many children have a good idea of what they can do and what feels too much. Ask them, “How do you feel? Do you think you can do it?” Be their supporter!

If your child is anxious about adventurous play, be their cheerleader. Let them know that you have confidence in them and are there to help them if it goes wrong. Don’t intervene or stop them as soon as they express fear. Instead, as long as they are safe, gently encourage them. “Can you go one step higher? Can you stay one minute longer?” Support them through their anxieties and go through the journey with them.

Remember, exposure to fear within a safe environment is not a negative thing. Generally, when we are exposed to things that make us feel scared or uncomfortable, we learn that it wasn’t as scary as we feared and that we can cope with more than we think we can. Offering your children learning experiences like this will help to reduce anxiety.

Try to consider and interrogate how your gender perceptions might influence interactions with your children. The survey showed that male caregivers were less likely to let their daughters play adventurously than their sons. Remember that providing the same opportunities to both boys and girls allows them to gain insight into their own interests and limits.

Implications for educators

Consider risk-benefits carefully. Dr Hesketh and Professor Dodd note that childcare providers often feel constrained by safety regulations and that schools and early years settings generally take a risk-averse approach to play. However, the Play Safety Forum recommends that educators should consider the risk-benefits of play. Where there is risk, is that risk offering a benefit? And do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Last year, Professor Dodd worked with Play Wales to develop an early years toolkit to support outdoor play. This resource, which is packed with practical tips for early years settings, can be found here.

Primary settings might like to check out OPAL, an organisation which creates fantastic playtime programmes. Professor Dodd has evaluated the impact of their work, finding a decrease in negative emotions, fewer behavioural problems, and a hugely positive response from school staff, who noted that children with special educational needs and those who previously had social difficulties during playtime, were much happier, more engaged and better occupied.