‘If not here, then where?’ Children’s seeking and pursuing risk during recess play in a Greek primary school: an ethnographic approach

Taking and managing risk is an important dimension of children’s play and a valuable experience with a variety of developmental benefits. However, in twenty-first-century Western societies, a growing tendency to avoid risk and expand control of children’s play activities in favour of their safety is witnessed. This is especially relevant to educational contexts, where research on risk-taking in play is fairly limited. This paper draws on ethnographic research with 6–12-year-old students and their teachers in a Greek public primary school to explore the dimension of risk in children’s play during recess. The findings of the study highlight children’s active engagement in risky play during recess, against the tendency of adults to restrict it, and emphasise the need to re-examine risk management in school playgrounds by introducing risk education processes which balance risk in play with safety.