Rethinking risk in HPE

Are we too quick to keep kids indoors in the name of safety? In this episode we explore why risk is not the enemy of learning, it’s a vital part of it. You'll hear why movement in unpredictable environments is essential for physical, social, and emotional development. Learn how to plan for safe, challenging activities that empower children to explore, adapt, and grow because real learning doesn’t always happen between the four walls of the classroom. 

Music by amado zapana from Pixabay

Transcript

Hi everyone, thanks for joining me today, as we dive into a topic that’s incredibly important especially if you’re planning lessons outside the four walls of a classroom. We’re talking about risk in HPE and why it shouldn’t stop us from letting kids move, explore, and learn.

Now, I get it. There’s a natural tendency to want to protect our students. As teachers, we want to keep everyone safe and that’s absolutely part of our duty of care. But here’s the key message: we can’t let the presence of risk - prevent movement, challenge, or active learning.

In fact, research tells us that risk-taking is an essential element of children’s learning and development. Childhood is a time for developing new skills and understandings by applying them in new and sometimes unpredictable, contexts. Children are often drawn to risk because of the level of challenge it offers and when we eliminate that challenge in the name of safety, we actually remove a lot of the value from the experience.

We know that children learn by moving not sitting still. Whether it's rolling across mats in the gym, a game of line tag on the basketball court, or swinging across bars in an obstacle course, these experiences teach far more than just physical skills. They help children understand their bodies, build resilience, develop relational awareness, and connect to the world around them.

Here’s a common concern I hear: “What if they get hurt?” But let’s be honest Children are just as likely to bump their head on a bookshelf while lining up inside as they are to scrape a knee while running on the playground. The difference is, we tend to accept the indoor risks as part of the school day, but we often hesitate with outdoor ones when really, both environments require the same thoughtful planning, supervision, and trust in children’s ability to learn through experience. Risk exists in every space. What matters is how we manage it.

In HPE and outdoor learning more broadly, we manage risk through careful planning and control measures. This might include things like:

• Having a first-aid kit readily available
• Ensuring students wear sun protective clothing and sunscreen
• Providing and monitoring water intake
• Adapting activities for different weather conditions
• Completing the appropriate risk assessments and permission processes, especially for excursions or adventure-based activities

These are not just best practice they’re required under most school and early childhood education and care policies. And while policy can vary across states and territories, the message is consistent: children deserve access to safe, meaningful learning, even when it involves risk.

And let’s think about this: some of the richest learning happens in unpredictable environments. Outdoor play allows children to make mud pies, dig, track insects, climb, jump, run, and tumble. These behaviours aren’t just fun they’re deeply educative. They help kids develop a relational understanding of their bodies in space, of energy in different weather conditions, of how their actions affect their surroundings.

For example, when children run with the wind at their backs, they learn that it takes less energy than running into the wind. Or when they jump from grass versus sand, they begin to notice the different demands placed on their muscles. These experiences are part of the foundational physical literacy we’re trying to develop in HPE.

In early childhood settings, it’s quite common for children to move fluidly between indoor and outdoor spaces. It’s expected. Encouraged. Valued. So why, when students hit school age, do we sometimes start pulling them back inside when the weather looks a bit grey, or the grass is a bit slippery?

Yes, we need to be cautious but we also need to be courageous. We cannot wrap children in bubble wrap and expect them to grow. It’s our role to assess risk realistically, prepare our students, and give them strategies to manage and respond to their environment.

And let’s not overlook the social and emotional benefits of outdoor, active learning. Playing and engaging in learning in unpredictable environments fosters teamwork, problem-solving, confidence, and independence. It invites spontaneous and authentic interactions among children moments that strengthen social bonds and communication skills in ways no worksheet ever could.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we ignore risk. It means we acknowledge it, plan for it, and continue to teach anyway.

So, what does this look like in practice?

Before the lesson, do your risk assessment. Walk the space. Note potential hazards. Follow your school’s policies whether you’re in Queensland, Adelaide, or anywhere else. Use the appropriate excursion or activity planning templates. Put the right measures in place to reduce harm.

During the lesson, teach students how to manage the environment. Discuss boundaries, check weather conditions together, assign buddies or roles, and give clear safety instructions. Let risk become part of the learning, not an obstacle to it.

And after the lesson—reflect. What worked? What did the students learn? What could be adjusted next time? These are all signs of quality teaching, especially in HPE.

So as you head into your next unit, whether it's doing kangaroo hops across the gym, outdoor obstacle courses, or a game of octopus tag on the oval, ask yourself this:
 Am I avoiding this experience because it’s genuinely unsafe?
 Or am I letting uncertainty stop me from delivering a rich, meaningful learning opportunity?

Because when we plan carefully, lead confidently, and create environments where movement is encouraged and challenge is embraced, we show our students that risk isn’t something to fear. It’s something to navigate.

Thanks for joining me today, until next time keep planning with care, teaching with confidence, and letting your students move, explore, and thrive in a range of learning environments.