RISKY PLAY DURING EARLY YEARS

Risky play is a thrilling and exciting form of children’s play that involves a risk of physical injury. Risk-taking is a natural characteristic of children’s play. Young children seek excitement and risks in their play. Risky play contributes to children’s all development areas including creativity, problem-solving abilities, challenge, self-confidence, risk management skills. In this regard, early childhood practitioners and parents have an important role in providing children with risky play provisions. There are various research studies in literature regarding characteristics of children’s risky play, and adults’ and environments’ role in children’s risky play. However, this subject has not been studied by researchers in Turkey. In this study, research studies about children’s risky play have been reviewed. The “risky play” term in this study signifies physical risks in play. This study is intended to set light to further studies in terms of examining children’s risky play and providing children with risk-taking opportunities, and so increasing quality of early childhood education in Turkey.