• What does recess look like if it is as safe as necessary but not as safe as possible?
• What are the links between the decline of independent, risky play and the rise in student anxiety?
• How do we distinguish between healthy ‘rough-and-tumble’ play and actual aggression?

My guests in this episode are Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Megan Zeni, the authors of the recently published Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore, Learn, and Grow. 

About These Guests

Dr. Mariana Brussoni is a Professor within the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine and a scientist with British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where she leads the Outside Play Lab. Her research reimagines how outdoor and risky play can be integrated into everyday life to help children thrive.

Dr. Megan Zeni is a teacher consultant and researcher in the province of BC. She has 3 decades of professional K-7 teaching experience in classrooms, outdoor classrooms, and school gardens. Megan supports just about anyone interested in building capacity for effective and sustainable implementation of risky play, school gardens, and outdoor classrooms in elementary schools. Learn more and follow her work at meganzeni.com.

Timestamps from This Episode

• 0:00:00 – Welcoming Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Megan Zeni 
• 2:00 – Distinguishing between RISKS and HAZARDS in the school environment
• 5:24 – As safe as necessary but not as safe as possible
• 7:14 – Surplus safety as a barrier to development
• 10:06 – The 17-second pause before intervening
• 12:42 – Links between the decline of risky play and the rise in student anxiety
• 18:35 – Creating ‘Yes spaces’ in our schools
• 27:02 – Healthy rough-and-tumble play vs actual aggression
• 30:19 – Items to add to a playground
• 35:22 – Going outdoors consistently beats occasional trips
• 38:16 – How and where to connect with the authors online

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse – retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.