At Bear Park we strive to have the highest standards of safety for our tamariki, but also providing throughout our programme the opportunity for risk taking. We believe that teachers play a fundamental role in supporting children to engage in acts of risk-taking, for when our tamariki take risks, they build essential skills that they require for life.
From problem-solving, decision-making, to building confidence, and resilience, they learn that it’s okay not be successful the first time round and that being unsuccessful can be a valuable learning experience for them.
When we describe risk-taking we describe it as engaging in a situation that has the potential to have a positive or unsuccessful outcome. Having the support and encouragement of our teachers ensures that children are supported to be involved in all opportunities of risk taking.
For children risks could be anything like trying and learning something new, that benefits their physical and emotional well-being. Giving children the opportunity to put themselves into a situation where they do not know what the outcome will be, allows them to discover the potential of the unknown.
For many young children climbing is one of the most difficult risks to take. Some children jump at the chance to explore physically, while others observe and take their time to learn before they embark on this activity. Risk taking can be seen throughout most elements of a child’s day, from deciding to try new foods, to engaging with a new group of friends.
We encourage children to be open to the limitless possibilities of risk taking, and make the most of an opportunity to deepen ones own basket of knowledge.
Giving children ownership of their own learning encourages them to take these risks without even thinking of the outcome. In many circumstances risks have been taken without having the knowledge of even doing so. Children learn from every opportunity, and create their own understanding of what they can achieve, or discover maybe what is more difficult.
Within our programme here at Bear Park, we ensure that all children have appropriate environments that support their levels of ability, but also encourage and challenge them to try something new. We embrace the many elements of nature, using the natural structures to explore balance and physical ability, which shows us that you don’t need specifically designed climbing equipment to provide an engaging opportunity for children to explore physical risk taking.
The benefits of climbing over, under and through spaces, gives the opportunity to manoeuvre ones limbs and bodies to fit into spaces that they wouldn’t normally fit into. During these teaching moments, children are encouraged to asses risk, because during this type of play, children are rehearsing real-life risky situations, discovering what is safe to do, and what is not so safe to do. It is important to balance between protecting children, and supporting them to take the appropriate risks in life.
As teachers we spend the first few years of a child’s life supporting them to grow into independent little people that can make their own choices in life. During these years children need to experiment with risks with their whole being for authentic, meaningful learning to occur. For children, everything they do is a learning opportunity.
“Courage doesn’t always roar.
Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
― Mary Anne Radmacher
Written by Annie Treadwell, Bear Park Herne Bay
If you’re interested in booking a tour to visit Bear Park, we’d love to show you around. Head to Book a Tour to organise a booking.
