Adventurous play linked to better physical and mental health in children

by Tom Seymour, University of Exeter

edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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The biggest international study ever on risky play has found that children who have more opportunities for outdoor adventurous play tend to have better physical and mental health, as well as improved social and cognitive development.

An international team of researchers led by the University of Exeter and the University of British Columbia conducted the study, published in PLOS One.

Their research found that when children have access to environments that support outdoor adventurous play, like creatively designed playgrounds and natural spaces, their health is better across these domains, too.

The team also found that independent mobility (being able to go out without adult supervision) is good for children's levels of physical activity.

Adventurous play—also referred to as risky play because children are allowed to take risks within certain boundaries—is thrilling, exciting play and includes examples such as riding a bike fast downhill, climbing a tree, paddling in a stream and play fighting. The categories defining adventurous/risky play are height, speed, getting lost, dangerous elements (water, fire, etc.), dangerous tools (e.g., using a hammer, whittling with a knife) and rough-and-tumble play.

Helen Dodd, a professor at the University of Exeter and director of the Outdoor Play Research Centre, said, "If we deny children the opportunity to engage in the sort of play that previous generations took for granted, we take away rich learning opportunities linked to children's health and development, ultimately affecting some of the key issues we see around us today.

"Of course, we all want to keep our children safe, but if we focus only on keeping children safe and remove the opportunity for them to explore risks in their play, we are doing them a disservice.

"It's important to find a balance and it's not a question of doing a certain amount of risky play but rather ensuring that in children's lives, there are opportunities for them to play in a way that allows them to benefit from exploring risks. Children need opportunities to lead their own play and to make mistakes."

The research included children from 74 studies from across the world examining the association between adventurous/risky play and positive health outcomes. Studies were eligible if they examined outdoor adventurous/risky play in children ages 3 to 12 and assessed a health outcome. Researchers looked at six domains: physical health, mental health and well-being, aggression, social, cognitive, and risk competence and injury.

Dodd, of the University of Exeter and director of the Outdoor Play Research Centre, continued: "More research is needed in this area because we only know risky play and positive health outcomes are linked, but we don't necessarily know cause and effect. That's the type of research we're interested in taking forward at the Outdoor Play Research Centre, to address those gaps, build better science, implement policy and shift society's understanding of risk in children's play."

Publication details

Outdoor risky play and health-related outcomes in children aged 3–12 years: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLOS One (2026). journals.plos.org/plosone/arti … journal.pone.0347444 , DOI: 10.5683/SP4/293KJZ" target="_blank">borealisdata.ca/dataset.xhtml? … tentId=DOI: 10.5683/SP4/293KJZ

Journal information: PLoS ONE

Key medical concepts

Mental HealthPhysical Well-beingCognitive DevelopmentActivities, Physical

Clinical categories

PediatricsChildren's healthFitness & Physical activityPsychology & Mental health Provided by University of Exeter Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

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