SHIRLEY WYVER, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
PAUL TRANTER, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
GERALDINE NAUGHTON, Centre of Physical Activity across the Lifespan, Australian Catholic University, Victoria, Australia
HELEN LITTLE, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
ELLEN BEATE HANSEN SANDSETER, Department of Physical Education, Queen Maud University College for Early Childhood Education, Trondheim, Norway
ANITA BUNDY, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia |
Play and playgrounds provide essential experiences for young children’s growth, development and enjoyment of life. However, such play experiences are now limited for many children due to excessive fear of risk, or ‘surplus safety’. In this article, the authors examine the pervasiveness of surplus safety in the lives of young children. They argue that restrictions now imposed on children’s play to promote safety may, paradoxically, expose children to more serious short and longer term threats of illness and limit children’s life opportunities. By comparing experiences from Australia and Norway, the authors demonstrate that surplus safety is not a necessary outcome of living in a modern Western society. |
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SHIRLEY WYVER, PAUL TRANTER, GERALDINE NAUGHTON, HELEN LITTLE, ELLEN BEATE HANSEN SANDSETER, ANITA BUNDY (2010) Ten Ways to Restrict Children’s Freedom to Play: the problem of surplus safety, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(3), 263-277. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.3.263 |
