We Don’t Allow Children to Climb Trees - How a Focus on Safety Affects Norwegian Children’s Play in Early-Childhood Education and Care Settings

Oct 15, 2026

“We Don’t Allow Children to Climb Trees” examines a central tension in early-childhood education and care: the desire to protect children’s safety versus the idea that learning to take risks is a normal part of childhood development. The study reports how the growing emphasis on safety in Norwegian society is reshaping how ECEC programs approach risky play, including new restrictions in everyday activities and their consequences for pedagogy, children’s play, learning, and development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Children’s Positive Experiences of Risk Taking

Risk Taking and Learning How to Handle Risks

“We Don’t Allow Children to Climb Trees” How a Focus on Safety Affects Norwegian Children’s Play in Early-Childhood Education and Care Settings s Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter Ole Johan Sando 􀂉e authors point out a basic contradiction: On one hand, we want to keep children as safe as possible; On the other, they suggest, learning to take risks is a normal part of childhood and child development. In Norway, research has shown that early-childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners have, in the past, taken a permissive approach to children’s risk taking. In this article, the authors surveys ECEC managers to explore how the increasing focus on safety in Norwegian society a􀂊ects ECEC programs. 􀂉ey 􀂋nd the previously more relaxed attitudes regarding risky play among children to be changing in such settings. 􀂉ey describe restrictions recently introduced into everyday program activities, and they discuss the implications both for ECEC pedagogy and for children’s play, learning, and development. Key words: early-childhood education and care (ECEC); play and safety; play in Norwegian preschools; risk taking and play Introduction Apparently culture influences how care givers and adults deal with children’s risk taking in play (Little and Wyver 2008; Guldberg 2009; Little, Sandseter, and Wyver 2012; Sandseter, Wyver, and Little 2012; Wyver et al. 2010; Wyver et al. 2012). According to Guldberg (2009, 60),“􀂉e Norwegians have a special love for outdoor pursuits and are reluctant to restrict children’s freedom to roam outdoors—without adults watching them—to the same extent that other nations do.” Similarly, New and colleagues (2005) note that Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and, to some extent, Italian preschool teachers have fewer worries about 178 American Journal of Play, volume 8, number 2 © 􀂉e Strong [Contact Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter at Ellen.B.Sandseter@dmmh.no](Contact Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter at Ellen.B.Sandseter@dmmh.no) children’s risk taking than do American preschool teachers. Studies indicate that Norwegian early-childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners view risky play positively compared to practitioners in other Western countries such as Australia (Little, Sandseter, and Wyver 2012; Sandseter, Wyver, and Little 2012; Wyver et al. 2010; Wyver et al. 2012). Norwegians acknowledge the importance of physically active play for children’s overall development, they allow risk taking in children’s play, and they have a relaxed attitude toward children and risk (Sandseter 2010b, 2012, 2013) . One reason for this more relaxed attitude toward risky play may be that the Norwegian Kindergarten Act (NMER 2005) and the framework for kindergarten (NMER 2006/2011) emphasize children’s opportunities for play, exploration, meaningful experiences, and activities in safe yet challenging environments. Nonetheless, these attitudes and the practices they encourage could be threatened by Western society’s growing concerns about safety and by the debate about children’s risk taking in play and the extent to which adults should regulate it. Most of the time, play does occur under some adult supervision, which means that adults frequently decide what children are allowed to do and where they are allowed to go (Kyttä 2004)—and this is also true in early-childhood and care settings. In this sense, adults simultaneously contribute to child safety and represent the biggest constraint on a child’s exposure to the risks and challenges that ultimately bene􀂋t their development (see e.g., Ball 2002; Furedi 2001; Gill 2007; Hughes and Sturrock 2006; Brussoni et al. 2012) . Children’s Positive Experiences of Risk Taking Objectively, risky play provides positive experiences for a child. Importantly, risky situations o􀂊er the potential rewards of intense exhilaration (Cook 1993; Cook, Peterson, and DiLillo 1999). According to Sutton-Smith (1997), children’splay provides an optimal experience of arousal, excitement, fun, m

FAQs

What central contradiction does the article address about children and risk?

It contrasts protecting children as much as possible with the view that risk-taking is a normal part of childhood and child development.

How is safety emphasis changing Norwegian ECEC attitudes toward risky play?

The article describes a shift from more permissive approaches toward increased focus on safety, including restrictions introduced into everyday program activities.

What positive experiences does risky play provide for children?

Risky play can produce intense excitement and joy, support mastery of challenging tasks, and foster feelings such as pride, achievement, and self-esteem while combining fun and fear.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by supergirl