How do young children cope in a risk-averse society where perceptions of risk affect their daily lives? What are children's perceptions of risk and how does this influence their play and spacial geographies? I went to find out in a primary school in Leicester, where I conducted a small-scale research project with children to find out where they played and what they were afraid of.
Where children choose to play can be influenced by many factors. Parents may impose physical boundaries of where they think it is safe for their children to play. Practitioners are concerned about children in their care, and ensure play equipment and play spaces meet with health and safety requirements. But what do we really know about children's own perceptions of risk and play? Are we providing the play spaces that children need and want?
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