06/11/2025
🎉 Why we embrace RISKY PLAY at Play and Learn
At Play and Learn Karaka West, we believe children grow, learn and thrive when given opportunities to take calculated risks in play — and here’s why that matters:
Children can handle more challenge than we might expect.
The article “Radio New Zealand: Why we need more risky playgrounds” describes how designer Mike Hewson creates spaces where kids climb, explore and test their limits. He says children know where the danger lies and relish the real-sense of adventure.
Risk plays a key role in building resilience, adaptability and confidence.
Hewson argues that we should provide “an environment where people can learn to be adaptable, learn to be nimble … by designing places that are a safe environment to experience fear, to experience risk.”
It’s not about being unsafe — it’s about being safely adventurous.
The article stresses that risky-play spaces still need thought, expert input and appropriate design. Safety-measures aren’t abandoned; instead, we shift from “risk-avoidance” to “hazard-awareness”.
Why we’re doing this at our centre:
We provide carefully designed experiences where children can challenge themselves, not just follow what’s safe and easy.
We support children to decide, try, adjust, and succeed — important life-skills for future learning.
We believe in giving your tamariki a space where they feel empowered, adventurous and connected.
A note for families:
We know it can feel a little uncomfortable when a child is balancing, climbing, exploring something new. That’s okay — it means they’re learning. We’ll always supervise, scaffold, and support so that the risk is meaningful and managed.
Thank you for trusting us to partner with you in raising bold, resilient young children who relish discovery. Here’s to more joyful, spirited play! 🌟
Boulders balancing on small wheels, palm trees hanging five metres in the air and monkey bars at odd angles - NZ designer Mike Hewson creates some gnarly spaces.
