Let Them Climb: Why Physical Risk on the Playground Is Good for Kids’ Brains

Remember the days when playgrounds had sky high jungle gyms, steep metal slides and see-saws that required mutual trust and bravery? Somehow, we all survived those mini adventures just fine and more importantly we learned from them. In recent years there’s been a noticeable shift in playground structures, from adventures and risk, to fun and safe. Safety, is of course crucial and extremely important for a child, but have we gone too far in bubble wrapping childhood? When we eliminate all the physical risks from play, we might be also robbing kids from some essential cognitive and emotional development.

Let’s talk about the importance of a bit of risk. Little things like letting your child climb to the highest branch on the tree or balancing on a wiggly log, can actually be a great opportunity for them. When a child is faced with a physical challenge like getting down from the tree they climbed, they’re doing more than just flexing their legs. Their stimulating their prefrontal cortex located in their frontal lobe. The brain is being used for critical thinking as the child has to think “can I reach this branch” or “ will this branch hold my weight”. These questions are essential for a child’s cognitive growth because it requires them to assess the situation, weigh possible outcomes and make decisions, which are key elements of executive functioning. These skills go as far as to aid future abilities like impulse control, planning and flexibility.

This concept of risk taking is not only a theory, but research has been done in support of it. The research shows that kids who engage in “risky play” are often better at self-assessing danger, which may sound ironic, but practice is what grows your child’s gage to what works and what doesn’t. When facing manageable risks, children learn how to be safer, not more reckless. They understand their limits and develop the confidence to try, fail and try again.

As we know, it can be difficult to just tell your kids something, especially when you’re trying to teach them to be a certain way. Same way parents want their child to be respectful, caring, and polite, many value a child’s independence, self-sufficiency, and problem-solving skills. As many of us parents know teaching your kids manners is more than just telling them to say please and thank-you. It’s about giving them the skills, and encouraging them, so they can take it forwards without you. Although, it can be scary as a parent, to see your child jumping off the play structure, it’s a risk that is worth the trade-off of your child’s development. When your child makes it to the end of the balance beam or make it to the top of the rock-climbing wall, the sense of accomplishment they feel is real, it lights up their brain in the best way. This kind of success is internalized. Having these small wins shows them that they can do hard things, which becomes an anchor when they face other challenges in life.

We often separate physical play from cognitive development, but the two are deeply connected. Movement stimulates neural pathways; improves attention and supports emotional regulation. Gross motor activities like swinging, climbing, and jumping are beneficial for young children whose brains are still wiring up to those critical circuits. When children test their bodies through risky activities, they are also testing their brains. They’re developing spatial awareness, motor planning and even early math skills. Small thoughts like “how many steps do I have to take to make it to the end” or “how fast will I have to move the balance on this log” all contribute to these skills. Learning doesn’t always require a worksheet, sometimes it can be taught in a fun, natural way, one being safe risks.

An important thing to recognize is the definition of safe risk. We aren’t saying to send your kid off to scale a cliff or go swimming against a riptide near a waterfall, where saying to challenge them within their realm of capabilities. This might mean giving your 4-year-old the opportunity to climb a latter you would usually spot them on or letting your 8 years old build an outdoor fort out of sticks (yes, even if it gives them a splinter). As caregivers, our role isn’t to eliminate every hazard, it’s to supervise thoughtfully, helping them to reach success when needed.

In an age where “safety first” turns into “safety only”, it’s worth thinking the probability of failure to their risk. Even if they end up scrapping their knee when falling off that tree, it is often something that builds resilience. When kids face physical challenges on the playground, they’re not just burning energy, their building their brains, testing their limits and developing essential skills for their future. So next time your child wants to climb higher than your comfortable with, take a breath. Watch. You might just be witnessing a moment of growth in more ways than just one.