Reframing Risk and Responsibility near water PART 1
If you haven’t heard us wax lyrical about the benefits of risky play yet (where have you been?), then you might need to hold on to your life raft, because we’re about to dive deep into navigating risky play in natural aquatic environments.
Ellen Sandseter has identified six categories of risky play that children seem attracted to, these are: great heights, rapid speeds, dangerous tools, dangerous elements, rough and tumble, and disappearing/getting lost.
Our discussions around risky play tend to focus on land-based environments, so we thought that in the lead up to summer it would be a good time to focus on one of our favourite spaces for risky play – WATER.
As one of the dangerous elements from Sandseter’s categories of risky play, water could easily be one of the most fun and most terrifying. Specifically, this category is about kids seeking opportunities to play in deep, cold or moving water, which gives them the chance to face their fears and understand their world in new ways.
environmental factors
When approaching play in natural aquatic environments, it’s important to consider environmental factors.
- If there’s rusty metal dumped in the creek, then it’s best to find another spot to play. This is the case at our Sunshine Coast location, so the area with rusty metal is out of bounds and we play upstream of it, in an area that’s shallow with generally slow-flowing water.
- If the water is run-off, there’s a good chance that bits of glass, rubbish and pollutants could be washed down whenever there’s a big rain. You might decide to set some boundaries around keeping shoes on while in the water or avoid that spot until the water has cleared up and you’re able to see the creek bottom.
- Is the area prone to flooding? Do cattle graze nearby? Are there submerged branches and sharp rocks? Do the tides cause big fluctuations in water level? Are there flora/fauna factors I need to watch out for? Such as excessive seaweed, cone snails hiding in rock pools, sharp mussels/oysters on rocks, stinging jellyfish, etc.
These are just some of the factors to consider when approaching play in a natural aquatic environment.
MANAGING RISK NEAR WATER
Whether it be playing on the beach, in creeks, rivers, dams, rockpools, or on boats, we want to emphasise that risky play near the water doesn’t always mean swimming. It might mean looking for critters, fishing, kayaking or simply throwing rocks. All of these activities are wonderful ways of tuning into the natural world, but they all carry an element of risk because, like it or not, the water is a dangerous place.
As always with risky play, it’s about creating opportunities for children to be exposed to measured risks. If you’re child has never had swimming lessons, then we don’t recommend throwing them in the deep end of the rock pool or letting them lean off the jetty unsupervised. You’re not doing them a favour by putting them in a situation where they have to sink or swim—it’s likely going to cause them a lot of anxiety and it’s not the way to build trust.
For everyone to have fun, kids need to trust that you will respect their boundaries and keep them safe, just as we need to know that children will respect our boundaries and agreements in return.
Step one: get your kids swimming lessons. This is the number one most important step in ensuring risky play in the water leads to happiness instead of tragedy. If this isn’t possible or accessible, commit to spending some time in aquatic environments together and teach them what you know. Go slowly, respect their need for reassurance, build their confidence and focus on progressing their ability rather than pushing them too far beyond their capabilities. Keep in mind that water safety skills are usually built over the winter and spring, and practice and repetition are required.
Further, if you’re just not sure you can rely on them to not jump off the jetty or spend five minutes with their face underwater staring at a sea cucumber, then consider getting some gear. Life jackets, snorkels, floaties, there are so many options. But remember that these are never a substitute for supervision. Stay within arms’ reach of non-swimmers, especially children under five.
Ok, we’re geared up, sun-protected, supervised, and ready to play. Now what?
It's important that children approach the water with excitement, awareness, and a healthy dose of fear.
Why fear? We’re glad you asked. It’s important to be open and honest with kids about the dangers of aquatic environments. As we’ve said before, protecting kids from risk is not protecting them from danger.
We recommend having brave and age-appropriate conversations with children about the risks of water play.
tuning in to their environment
Start with these questions to encourage children to tune into their environment and engage all their senses:
- What can you notice about the creek/beach/dam today?
- How clear/fast flowing/deep is the water?
- What do you think we might need to be aware of with the current/fast flowing water?
- What do you think we might need to be aware of in the murky water, where we can’t see the bottom?
- How might the weather affect our play? If there’s a storm or lightning, do you think it’s safe for us to keep playing in the water? If the waves get bigger or the current gets stronger, do you think that might mean that we need to hop out?
OR for a different approach, why not work through the senses one by one and enjoy the discovery process?
- Sight: Can you see anything that makes you feel uncomfortable?
- Hearing: What can you hear? Are there waves crashing is there a gentle trickling?
- Touch: How cold is the water? Is there seaweed floating in it?
- Smell: Can you smell anything? Have animals been near this spot? Do you think that might affect if this water is safe to have in our mouths?
- Taste: Is the water salty or sweet? (make sure you answer the previous question and assess the situation before drinking potentially contaminated water!)
tuning in to their body
Once they’ve tuned in to their environment, it’s also a good idea to ask some feelings questions and be forthcoming about your own emotions. These are designed to bring them back into their bodies and the felt reality of being in natural aquatic environments.
- I’m really excited to play in the water today! I’m hot and can’t wait to float in the cool water. How are you feeling?
- Those waves look big, they’re taller than me and they make a big sound when they crash. It makes me feel as though I don’t want to play over there right now. I might just get my feet wet and dig in the sand. How do you feel about those waves?
- This creek is beautiful but the water is quite cold. It makes me feel like I don’t want to stay in for very long. How does it make you feel?
- Sometimes when I get dumped by a big wave or fall in deep, cold water I get a little bit scared about when I’m going to be able to take my next breath. Have you ever experienced that?
- I feel a bit nervous about letting you play in the deep water. I get scared that you might lose your feet and struggle to get your head above the water to breathe. If anything like that happened to you and I wasn’t there to help it would make me feel so terrible and sad. How might you feel if you were in that situation?
This might feel a bit uncomfortable and heavy, but bringing your emotions into these conversations can play an important role in helping children consider situations from different perspectives.
It’s also a good idea to have this chat ahead of time when you’ve got their attention, instead of trying to squeeze them in between slapping on sunscreen and setting up the gazebo on the shore. For more resources on swimming and water safety for kids, head to royallifesaving.com.au.
The point of all this is so that we can focus on the good stuff—playing in the water is fun!
Many happy memories are made splashing around, jumping, diving and floating in the water. Fun comes easily to children, and at Wildlings we often find that kids can happily spend a whole session playing in the creek. The water has a special place in our hearts and it’s an exciting and diverse sensory environment to explore.
There is so much to cover on this topic, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for part two next week! We’re always keen to hear your stories, so if you’ve got some tips on risky play in the water let us know via our socials @wildlings_forestschool.
Written by Ellen Nesbitt. Ellen is a nature play advocate and creative writer with a passion for helping families connect with the outdoors. She is dedicated to exploring ways to nurture children's creativity, independence, wellbeing and love for nature.