Children are actually safer today than at any time in history. But the insidious question 'what if...?' and its offspring, the fear of being blamed, crowd out common sense and undermine good judgement.
Out-of-school clubs have an especially hard time navigating this territory, caught between children's ever-growing appetite for experience and their parents' fears and anxieties. The first step is to accept that there is simply no such thing as a risk-free environment. Every game you play, every craft activity you run, every play area you use, every table and chair in your room is a potential source of harm. You are already in the game of balancing risks against benefits, so each time you talk about an activity or venue being 'safe', what you really mean is 'safe enough': safe enough for it to be likely that children will enjoy the experiences on offer without coming to serious harm.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
