AUTHOR=Stamatis Kristina M. , Jakopovic Paula M. , Mendoza K. Rende , Wisneski Debora TITLE=Reconceptualizing risk: toward a theory of small risks in informal family play settings JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education VOLUME=9 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1379372 DOI=10.3389/feduc.2024.1379372 ISSN=2504-284X ABSTRACT=

Risk-taking in early childhood play is often associated with taking physical risks in outdoor settings. In this study, we explore the notion of “small risks” as a way to examine the how parents and children engage in intergenerational play at a series of informal, indoor pop-up play events that took place at community centers in a large, urban setting. We utilize auto-photography and small stories to examine participants’ self-selected examples of the ways their family units typically engaged in play. Our findings suggest that risk-taking in play, when re-envisioned through the lens of small risks, is more complex and nuanced than previously thought, particularly for families from non-dominant communities.