Ep. 28: Exploring Childhood Development Through Risky Play with Debbie Jones

My guest on today’s episode is Debbie Jones.  Debbie is the lead trainer and owner of Confident Director, a company that provides coaching, consulting, training, networking, and online courses.  She enjoys guiding directors and teachers to reach their unique potential in their professional roles.  She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education working with faith-based and secular programs. Debbie received her Bachelor of Arts from Howard Payne University and she holds a Texas director certificate. 

In this episode, Debbie discusses the concept of risky play and its importance in childhood development. Risky play refers to allowing children to engage in activities that involve some level of risk, such as climbing, exploring, and problem-solving. She emphasizes the need to trust children and their abilities, allowing them to make decisions and learn from their experiences. She also highlights the benefits of risky play, including increased self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and awareness of their surroundings. Debbie suggests that educators should create a "yes environment" that promotes risky play and encourages children to take appropriate risks. She also advises teachers to observe and notice children's interests and abilities, and to provide opportunities for them to engage in risky play in a safe and supervised manner. Overall, Debbie emphasizes the importance of trusting children and allowing them to take risks to foster their development and build their confidence and problem-solving skills.

Are there a couple of traditional rules in your classroom that you’re willing to step away from for a few days?  I want to encourage you to remember that young children rarely take risks beyond what they are capable of if we trust them!  The next time a child takes a risk that makes you gasp….stop yourself to adjust for a split second before yelling STOPPPP or “BE CAREFUL” and take a breath.  Be ready to support them but don’t stop them. See what happens. My guess is that you’ll be celebrating their success at doing something that required bravery and courage!

 

You can access Debbie’s website HERE.

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