The Evolutionary Importance of Risky Play: Challenging Limits for Childhood Development
The Evolutionary Importance of Risky Play: Challenging Limits for Childhood Development
The Role of Risk in Childhood Play: An Evolutionary Perspective
As children across the United States return to school, playground equipment like jungle gyms and monkey bars once again take center stage. While these fixtures have been playground staples since the 1920s, they have also become symbols of parental concern due to the potential for injuries. Yet, new research from Dartmouth anthropologists suggests that risky play, such as climbing and swinging, fulfills an evolutionary need crucial to child development and resilience.
In their paper published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health1, the researchers argue that this type of play fulfills an evolutionary need inherited from our ape and early human ancestors. The study suggests that modern playgrounds may prioritize “surplus safety” at the expense of children’s ability to push their physical and cognitive boundaries, a process that is fundamental to developing resilience and confidence.
The Origins of Risky Play: A Legacy from Early Humans
Co-author Zane Thayer, associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth, explains that although children today are physically safer than ever before, societal anxiety about injuries has never been higher. Thayer notes,
“One of the ironies of modern parenting is that our children have never been physically safer, yet we have never been more worried about them.”
She emphasizes the long-term developmental benefits of allowing children to engage in play that involves manageable risks.
“Risky play helps children build resilience and confidence—skills that resonate throughout life.”
The researchers connect this concept to our evolutionary history. Early human juveniles, much like modern primates, likely engaged in extensive climbing, swinging, and other risky activities that helped them develop crucial survival skills. The fossilized remains of early hominins, such as the 3.3-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis child known as Selam, show physical adaptations for tree climbing and hanging, reflecting a childhood filled with risk and exploration. Even the famous skeleton of Lucy, an adult of the same species, bears evidence of healed fractures, suggesting that falls from significant heights were not uncommon in early hominins.
Physical Development Through Play: Insights from Primates
According to lead author Luke Fannin, a PhD candidate in Dartmouth’s Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society program, juvenile primates are known to engage in more climbing and swinging than adults, which allows them to develop dexterity, strength, and a keen awareness of their physical limits. Fannin cites a 2014 study reporting that young chimpanzees spend significantly more time in the trees than their adult counterparts, a behavior that enhances their climbing abilities. Fannin explains,
“If you’re spending all that time in trees as a juvenile, you need confidence. Falling from a tree can be devastating and possibly fatal for a large ape or hominin.”
By engaging in risky play, juveniles learn how to navigate their environment, testing the boundaries of what they can and cannot do. Modern humans, while less adept climbers than other primates, still retain the physical capacity to engage in these activities. Fannin points to hunter-gatherer cultures where individuals have been known to scale trees as tall as 150 feet to gather food.
Jungle Gyms and Monkey Bars: A Reflection of Our Ancestral Instincts
The invention of jungle gyms and monkey bars in the 1920s by Chicago lawyer Sebastian “Ted” Hinton reflects this evolutionary heritage, according to Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and co-author of the study. Hinton, who patented these playground structures, believed that children have an innate “monkey instinct” to climb, which he saw as essential to their physical and mental development. This idea came at a time when society was embracing nature and outdoor activities as vital to health, as evidenced by the establishment of the National Park Service and the rise of the Scouting movement. Dominy notes,
“Hinton was at the forefront of this cultural moment that embraced nature as essential to fitness, but it focused on bipedalism. Hinton described climbing as a product and necessity for childhood growth and development before we had the evidence for it.”
The Debate Over Playground Safety: Risks vs. Benefits
Despite the benefits of risky play, playground equipment like jungle gyms and monkey bars has been the focus of safety concerns for decades. Studies of hospital admissions show that these structures result in more childhood fractures and hospital visits than any other type of playground equipment. However, the actual risk of injury is relatively low. A 2003 study cited by the Dartmouth team calculated the risk of playground injury at no more than 0.59 in 100,000, far lower than injuries sustained in organized sports or gym class. Moreover, 95% of children with playground injuries between 2001 and 2013 were treated and released the same day. Fannin says,
“Free play allows kids to modulate activities to match their physical abilities and personal confidence.”
In contrast, organized sports, where adults set the rules and expectations, may carry higher risks of injury due to the social pressures and structured nature of the activities.
Despite these low risks, efforts to remove jungle gyms and monkey bars from playgrounds persist. In New York City, for instance, most public playgrounds have removed these structures, and seven states have adopted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s safety guidelines for monkey bars, though enforcement remains challenging.
The Evolutionary Case for Risky Play
The Dartmouth research highlights that while the concerns of parents and policymakers about playground safety are valid, the benefits of allowing children to engage in risky play should not be overlooked. Thayer concludes,
“Risky play, where children challenge themselves, is a normal part of our development, as it was for our ancestors.”
Allowing children to independently test their limits on the playground may not only promote physical development but also foster the emotional and cognitive resilience that is crucial for success later in life.
This study emphasizes the need to reconsider the role of playgrounds in child development, drawing from evolutionary theory to inform modern public health practices. By understanding the deep roots of risky play, society can better balance safety with the developmental needs of children, ensuring that playgrounds remain a space for both fun and growth.
Fannin, L. D., Thayer, Z. M., & Dominy, N. J. (2024). Commemorating the monkey bars, catalyst of debate at the intersection of human evolutionary biology and public health. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, eoae017. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoae017