The effects of risky outdoor play on the development of young children: elucidating the decision-making process of parents and care practitioners on early childhood education

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K02441
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Sugimura Shinichiro 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(教), 教授 (40235891)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 幼児 / 外遊び / リスク / 怪我 / 発達 / 保護者 / 保育者 / 意思決定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In outdoor play for children, it is becoming increasingly clear that parents and care practitioners on early childhood education can promote children’s health and development by accepting a moderate level of risk rather than aiming for the greatest possible safety. However, the use of the term “risk” is not uniform and the extent to which various abilities of children are developed through risky outdoor play remains unclear. Furthermore, till date, there is no specific method to comprehensively determine the risks and benefits of outdoor play for children. Therefore, this study, aimed to clarify the concept of “risk.” It also developed a flow chart of how to proceed with benefit-risk assessment; it further revealed the realities of children’s risk management through judgment tasks and observations.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

過度な安全性の追求はかえって健全な発達を阻害するという問題は，2011年の日本学術会議の提言「我が国の子どもの成育環境の改善にむけて」でも盛り込まれ，極めて重要であると認識されている。リスクを伴う外遊びの価値を保護者や保育者に伝えその機会を増やすには，リスクを伴う外遊びが子どもの発達によい影響を与えるといったエビデンスを示し，その上で家庭や園において子どものリスクを伴う外遊びに対する意思決定を行ってもらう必要がある。そのためには，エビデンスの蓄積と意思決定過程の解明が急務であり，本研究の成果はリスクを伴う外遊びの価値ならびに機会の向上に寄与する。