GEKA Carnegie

Facilitating Safe Risks - the educator's role

By Supreet Kaur

At GEKA Carnegie Kindergarten, we know that children who engage in supervised and safe risky play develop the skills they need to adapt to new situations and explore new environments. I have noticed that children love to take risks. They jump, roll down and do back flips on the mats and climb the highest A-frame equipment. By setting up the kindergarten environment with this in consideration, will allow children to challenge their abilities, calculate the risk and make planned informed decisions about their own risk taking. 

My role as an Educator is very important in helping children learn what is “safe” risky play.  We help children to manage the risk in a responsible and planned way. Some children don’t choose to take risks out of fear.  Others gain courage while watching their peers and often then want to give it a go. Our role as Educators is very important in both instances. We talk to children, help them through the process of moving their bodies, and problem solve with them on how they can take risks without compromising safety. 

At GEKA Carnegie Kindergarten we have monkey bars where some children find it easy to climb up and over with the connected slide, but some children step back as the year goes by children who showed hesitation want to try to have a go. This is where our experience as Educators is essential to know when a child is ready to try.  Educators always stay close by and encourage the child with each step. It’s a great way for a child to gain confidence to take safe risks and try new things.

To ensure children’s safety, we frequently and daily, check the outdoor area and look for any sharp objects and unstable heavy structures. We have an orange measuring rope for compliance purposes to make sure that climbing structures are 1.8 m away from other equipment. If a child falls, he/she will not bump into any structures that are too close. 

Risk taking can be safe, and children are capable of learning how to keep themselves safe and build resilience. We provide play that allows children opportunities for challenges, testing limits, exploring boundaries and learning about risks of injury, while under the nurturing eyes of caring, engaging and attentive Kindergarten Educators.