Risk, Challenge and Adventure in the Early Years by Kathryn Solly

Risk, Challenge and Adventure in the Early Years by Kathryn Solly

What is the difference between ‘risk’ and ‘danger’? What can children learn from taking risks? How can you provide key experiences for children and ensure their safety outdoors?

Young children will naturally seek out challenges and take risks and this is crucial to their overall development. This book clearly explains why children should be given the freedom to take risks and provides practical guidance on how to offer stimulating and challenging outdoor experiences that will extend all areas of children’s learning.

Including examples of activities for all weather conditions across all areas of learning, the book covers:

• The pedagogical history of adventure, risk and challenge
• Health, wellbeing and keeping safe
• The adult role
• Risk assessment
• Supporting individual children with different needs
• Environments that enable challenging and adventurous play
• Working with parents and addressing concerns
• Observation, planning and assessment

This book is essential reading for practitioners and students that wish to provide rich experiences for children that will enable them to become confident and adventurous learners.

"This book reminds us that adventure, risk and challenge in the outdoors are vital not just for physical development, but to develop Discoverers, Reasoners and ThinkersKathryn Solly's book shows us how to develop exciting and challenging provision that will support embedded learning in a way that tests and checklists cannot do."- Dr Sue Allingham, Early Years Educator

"Risk, Challenge and Adventure… is an extensive and comprehensive guide to outdoor learning, and is an ideal tool for in-house training. Its developmental perspectives and wealth of experience shared by the author- supported by solid research—offers opportunities for a variety of training sessions. […] I would encourage every setting to add this volume to their staff room resources." – Barbara Isaacs, Montessori International

"This book reminds us that adventure, risk and challenge in the outdoors are vital not just for physical development, but to develop Discoverers, Reasoners and Thinkers. Kathryn Solly's book shows us how to develop exciting and challenging provision that will support embedded learning in a way that tests and checklists cannot do." - Dr Sue Allingham, Early Years Educator

Kathryn Solly is the retired Headteacher of Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre. She is now a specialist Early Years consultant, trainer and author.