Childcare Centre Allows Kids To Play Near Fire And Use Power Tools For Safety Awareness

A childcare centre in NSW has allowed toddlers to play with fire and power tools to increase their safety awareness.

Most parents may not agree that letting your two-year-old play next to an open fire or use power tools to build a play house could be the best way to learn about safety, but the Adamstown Community Early Learning and Preschool believe that for children to learn how to be safe, they must be exposed to a kind of “risky play.”

Researchers at the University of Newcastle (UON) say that this kind of “risky play” actually increases kids’ safety awareness and nurtures their aversion to risk.

Associate Professor Linda Newman explained that allowing children to play with dangerous things can actually help them learn how to protect themselves.

“These days there’s a tendency for parents and guardians to shelter children from risks that past generations were readily exposed to,” she said. “Things like playing out in the street or climbing trees are often avoided, but these activities can be vital in shaping a child’s perception of the world and how they approach risk, ultimately building resilience in adulthood.”he said.

A nine-month study was done by the Adamstown childcare centre and UON, which involved 60 children, aged six months to five years, who were allowed to play near fire at a safe distance, with their shoes on. They were introduced to tools, starting with hammers and screwdrivers and then moving on to hacksaws and power tools, all under supervision.

Girls and boys were encouraged equally to engage in the same risky play, doing things like climbing and building. At the end of the program, the older children built a cubbyhouse themselves.

After the study, researchers saw interesting results for girls. They said that risky play challenged gender stereotypes, which resulted in a more balanced curriculum for boys and girls.

Associate Professor Newman explained that although the childcare centre encourages risky play, it was always under appropriate supervision and with the correct teachings in place.

“By implementing risky play in a secure environment as part of early learning, we can ensure young children feel confident to engage with risk safely under supervision rather than on their own,” she said.

Adamstown Community Early Learning and Preschool Centre Director Kate Higginbottom told Fairfax that the centre’s philosophy was based on six principles researched by Norwegian Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter. They encourage children to play at great height; play at high speeds; play with dangerous tools; play near dangerous elements like fire and water; engage in rough and tumble play; and experience getting lost and not being watched by adults.

Source: Kidspot.com.au