Have you heard, those in the know suggest that parents should let their kids enjoy some “risky play” time. How did we live to the age we are now?

During my school days, friends would come to work with a cast. “Cool, what happened to you?” And the answer would be anything from dirt biking, trampoline or skating. If you were a farm kid, perhaps you fell off the haystack! The playgrounds we had were never that safe, lets be honest.

Playgrounds now have rubber matting and shredded tires to absorb any falls. Back in the 60’s you had nice packed dirt or maybe a bit of grass to cushion the fall. Perhaps you even ate dirt. I remember one day while in grade 5, I got dinged by a rock. One of the older kids, Roxanne, had a bat and was batting out rocks! PING! I took a sharp one to the head! And ended up in the nurse’s office. Roxanne ended up in the principal’s office. Risky Play, you say. Stuff happens!

Riding toboggans, riding your bike, skate boarding, jumping pillows at your local corn-maze. They all sound like fun. They all get kids away from screen time that is winning over children and resulting in childhood obesity. If you can cultivate a positive relationship with Risky Play, do it. Your kids will have great memories and develop a relationship with the art of play.

I know everyone wants to keep children out of harms way, but you cannot be there all the time. You can give kids skills to deal with things like falling, getting back up again and toughing it out. Of course the report is not suggesting kids be put in harms way. Just think about giving them the chance to play like you did decades ago. Socializing with other children, getting active and opening their imaginative minds to more than a tablet or the t.v.!