Health, Well-being, Learning and Development Iechyd, Llesiant, Dysgu a Datblygu
Why risk is important in play and how to encourage, and support acceptable levels of risk Pwysigrwydd risg wrth chwarae a sut i annog lefelau derbyniol o risg

Keeping children and young people safe within the setting is a priority. They need a safe and challenging environment. An environment without any risks will not motivate or challenge children. They need the opportunity to explore the environment and to make their own decisions. They need opportunities to solve problems and consider what could happen if they are not careful. Eliminating all risks within the environment, be it indoors or outdoors, can lead to boredom for the children who may then show signs of unacceptable behaviour. As a result, children will show more adventurous behaviour which can be dangerous to themselves and to other children around them.

When taking risks, children develop confidence to be able to cope with challenging situations that contribute to their well-being. Play allows children to take risks and by organising their play, they will extend their skills and cope with their ability to control their emotions. This will contribute to the development of self-image and feelings of self-respect. They will develop to consider others by thinking of the consequences of their play and what could happen if the play gets out of control.

Children have the rights to make decisions and to take risks when playing. By having these opportunities, children and young people will be able to enjoy the environment as much as possible and obvious risks will be eradicated.

They can learn a variety of skills that will support them in the future, such as:

• building resilience
• the ability to assess their abilities
• being inventive
• using hand tools confidently and safely
• understanding the consequences of their actions
• developing confidence
• developing independence
• being creative
• showing curiosity
• being enthusiastic.

Although the early years childcare worker is best placed to prevent accidents, in order to enable children and young people to manage their own risks, the childcare worker must take a step backwards and take on the role of supervisor. However, a number of factors must be considered when supporting children to take risks. The following should be considered:

1. Age and development stage — not every child develops at the same pace and resources and activities within care and education settings for children and young people must be suitable for every child. The activities need to provide enough opportunities for the children to be able to take risks safely. Children should not be forced to do anything beyond their ability, nor should they be encouraged to go a step further than they feel is safe.
2. The environment — childcare workers have a duty of care to ensure that the environment is suitable and safe for the children in their care. It may be that not every activity and area in the setting is suitable to be used with all the children and that they will need to be adapted so that each child can take part safely. The childcare worker will be able to adapt these boundaries as the children's skills and abilities improve.
3. Experiences — some children will have had more experience than others of encountering numerous risks while playing. Some children will have spent more time in outdoor areas such as forests, gardens or parks where they will have had opportunities to explore and investigate the environment.
4. Parental participation and responsibility — parents/carers have a responsibility to keep their children safe from harm. Some parents/carers can be overprotective when their children want to take risks. This is as they are not completely aware of the positive outcomes their children will have by managing to control risks themselves. Parents/carers do not want their children to come to any harm and therefore want to protect them from dangers.

Mae cadw plant a phobl ifanc yn ddiogel o fewn y lleoliad yn flaenoriaeth. Maent angen amgylchedd diogel sydd yn heriol. Ni fydd amgylchedd heb risgiau o gwbl yn symbylu nac yn herio plant. Mae angen iddynt gael cyfle i archwilio’r amgylchedd a gwneud penderfyniadau dros eu hunain. Maent angen cyfleoedd i ddatrys problemau ac ystyried beth all ddigwydd wrth beidio â bod yn ofalus. Gall dileu pob risg o fewn yr amgylchedd, boed tu mewn neu du allan yn yr awyr agored arwain at blant yn diflasu gan arddangos arwyddion o ymddygiad annerbyniol. Yn sgil hyn gwelir plant yn arddangos ymddygiad mwy mentrus a all brofi yn beryglus iddynt hwy a phlant eraill o’u hamgylch.

Wrth gymryd risgiau bydd plant yn datblygu hyder i fedru ymdopi â sefyllfaoedd heriol sy’n cyfrannu tuag at eu lles. Mae chwarae yn caniatáu i blant gymryd risgiau a thrwy drefnu eu chwarae byddant yn ehangu eu sgiliau ac ymdopi â’u gallu i reoli eu hemosiynau. Bydd hyn yn cyfrannu tuag at ddatblygiad hunanddelwedd a theimladau ohunan-barch. Byddant yn datblygu i ystyried eraill drwy feddwl am ganlyniadau eu chwarae a’r hyn y gall ddigwydd os yw’r chwarae yn mynd allan o reolaeth.

Mae gan blant hawliau i wneud penderfyniadau a chymryd risgiau trwy eu chwarae. Wrth gael y cyfleoedd hyn bydd plant a phobl ifanc yn medru mwynhau’r amgylchedd i’r eithaf gan ddileu risgiau amlwg.

Gallant ddysgu amryw o sgiliau a fydd o gymorth iddynt yn y dyfodol megis:

• adeiladu gwytnwch
• medru asesu eu galluoedd
• bod yn ddyfeisgar
• defnyddio offer llaw yn hyderus ac yn ddiogel
• deall canlyniad eu gweithred
• datblygu hyder
• datblygu annibyniaeth
• bod yn greadigol
• dangos chwilfrydedd
• bod yn frwdfrydig.

Er mai’r gweithiwr gofal plant blynyddoedd cynnar sydd yn gallu atal damweiniau orau, er mwyn galluogi plant a phobl ifanc i reoli risgiau eu hunain mae’n rhaid camu’n ôl a chymryd rôl goruchwylwyr. Rhaid fodd bynnag ystyried nifer o ffactorau wrth gefnogi plant i gymryd risgiau. Dylid ystyried;

1. Oedran a cham datblygiad — nid yw pob plentyn yn datblygu ar yr un cyflymder ac mae angen sicrhau bod yr adnoddau a’r gweithgareddau o fewn lleoliadau gofal ac addysg plant a phobl ifanc yn addas ar gyfer pob plentyn. Mae angen i’r gweithgareddau roi digon o gyfleoedd i’r plant fedru cymryd risgiau yn ddiogel. Ni ddylid gorfodi plant i wneud ddim sydd tu hwnt i’w gallu nac i’w hannog i fynd gam ymhellach na ble maent yn teimlo’n ddiogel.
2. Yr amgylchedd — mae gan gweithiwyr gofal plant ddyletswydd gofal i sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd yn addas ac yn ddiogel ar gyfer y plant yn eu gofal. Efallai nad yw pob gweithgaredd ac ardal yn y lleoliad yn addas i'w defnyddio gyda'r holl blant a bod angen eu haddasu fel bod pob plentyn yn medru cymryd rhan yn ddiogel. Bydd yr gweithiwr gofal plant yn medru addasu'r terfynau hyn wrth i sgiliau a galluoedd y plant gynyddu.
3. Profiadau — bydd rhai plant wedi cael mwy o brofiad nag eraill gan ddod ar draws risgiau niferus yn eu chwarae. Bydd rhai plant wedi treulio mwy o amser mewn ardaloedd allanol megis coedwigoedd, gerddi neu barciau ble maent yn cael cyfleoedd i archwilio ac ymchwilio’r amgylchedd.
4. Cyfranogiad a chyfrifoldeb rhieni/gofalwyr — mae gan rhieni/gofalwyr gyfrifoldeb i ddiogelu eu plant rhag unrhyw niwed. Gwelir bod rhai rhieni/gofalwyr yn or-amddiffynnol pan fydd eu plant am gymryd risgiau. Mae hyn oherwydd nad ydynt yn hollol ymwybodol o’r canlyniadau positif y caiff plant wrth ymdopi â rheoli risgiau eu hunain. Nid yw rhieni/gofalwyr am i unrhyw niwed ddod i’w plant ac felly maent yn awyddus i’w hamddiffyn rhag peryglon.