The Power of Risky Play in the Early Years - NEW BOOK

Introduction to the book

Now, more than ever, children need to develop autonomy and decision-making skills. Too often in Early Years settings, opportunities for learning through risky play are missed. In this book, Zoe Sills and Sarah Watkins support you to overcome the barriers to embedding and allowing space for risky play in your setting.

*Know the value of Risky Play
*Create a learning environment that encourages and supports Risky Play
*Feel confident to allow the time and space for Risky Play
*Develop a better understanding of risk and learning.

Children know what they need for their bodies and minds. Through self-directed play, children naturally challenge themselves. They test their physical and emotional boundaries as part of cognitive and physical development. We should be supporting this child-led learning in the Early Years, not limiting it. This book helps you to do this - to harness the learning power of Risky Play.

Available to buy in all good book shops and direct from Sage Publications.

Zoe Sills - Author

Zoe spent 20 years as a secondary school PE teacher in England and Scotland, integrating outdoor adventure into the curriculum. She led activities like orienteering and hill walking, introduced loose parts and team play challenges, taking urban children on outdoor adventures. Transitioning to pastoral leadership, Zoe missed outdoor life, which led her to manage a Forest School nursery, expanding it to provide full-time care for children aged 2-5 and then wraparound care for primary school children. During COVID, she helped develop guidance for outdoor settings. Now running Jackdaw Forest School, Zoe delivers outdoor learning training, works as an OPAL Play Mentor with Play Scotland and has co-authored a book on risky play in early years education. She works closely with Outdoor Woodland Learning Scotland as secretary of the Moray OWL Group and last year joined SOLA as Play Director.

Sarah Watkins - Author

Sarah is a lecturer at University of Worcester and an ex Headteacher. Sarah is a Forest School leader who runs her own outdoor learning company and she is currently running a research project exploring the impact of outdoor learning on school exclusion.