This paper explores what makes children's risky play risky. Risky play can generally be defined as thrilling and exciting forms of play that involve a risk of physical injury. Few, if any, studies have been conducted to explore what identifies play activity as risky. The present study aims to determine what characteristics to judge risky play by. Risky play in two Norwegian preschools was observed and videotaped during 18 observation days over five months. The results reveal two categories of risk characteristics in children's play: (1) environmental characteristics (features of the play environment), and (2) individual characteristics (how the play was carried out by the child). These two categories include several different risk characteristics that identify the risk in risky play. The results indicate that both features of the play environment as well as children's risk-taking actions based on their subjective risk perception influence the objective risk present in the play situation. The study contributes to an increased focus on children's natural urge for risky play, and to what characterizes such play.
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