Media release

From: University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

A new research-backed tool aims to revolutionise how playgrounds and outdoor learning environments are assessed, by recognising that some risk can be good for a child’s development.

Professor David Eager, an expert in risk management and injury prevention at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) developed the tool, which is a culmination of more than 30 years’ work assessing the safety of children’s play environments.

“For decades, play and education spaces have leaned heavily toward eliminating risk. This new tool allows educators, parents, designers and safety inspectors to weigh both the dangers and developmental advantages of risky play,” says Professor Eager.

“Whether it's a 10 metre high climbing net, a flying fox or a ropes course, the tool allows for a more balanced view of children's natural drive for challenge and adventure.

“Wrapping children in cotton wool and limiting them to overly safe, uninspiring play environments can limit a child’s physical, emotional and social development, and potentially leave them less resilient,” he says.

The tool is described in a recent paper: Risky Play Is Not a Dirty Word: A Tool to Measure Benefit–Risk in Outdoor Playgrounds and Educational Settings, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

The paper was co-authored with Professor Tonia Gray from Western Sydney University, Dr Helen Little from Macquarie University, Dr Lisa Sharwood from UNSW, and playspace architect Fiona Robbé.

“Playgrounds that are too safe can be boring,” says Professor Eager, “and when kids aren't stimulated, they often find their own risks elsewhere.”

In 2023, the International Organisation for Standardisation recognised this shift in thinking by publishing ISO 4980:2023, a global standard that formally incorporates benefit–risk in the assessment of sport and recreational facilities, activities, and equipment.

It marked a key departure from past safety models that focused solely on preventing injury, and avoiding litigation, without accounting for benefit that sport and recreational activities provide.

The new tool offers a concrete way to measure benefits as well as risks, using two 5x5 matrices, with the benefit and the risk score both calculated by multiplying a likelihood rating with a range of potential positive or negative outcomes.

This helps decision-makers compare which hazards are acceptable, because they offer valuable learning opportunities, and which offer no benefit and should be eliminated.

“Parents often focus on the risks to their children because the fear of injury is immediate, however this natural protective instinct can lead to over-caution and unintentionally limiting valuable learning opportunities,” says Professor Eager.

“If the benefits, such as confidence, coordination, skill development and emotional resilience, outweigh the risks, and the hazards are not serious or can be minimised, then the activity may be worth allowing,” he says.

As communities look to create spaces where children can thrive, this fresh approach will reshape how risks and benefits are assessed in the playgrounds and educational environments of the future.