From Playground to Clinic Playground: Risky play as a health promotion tool in physiotherapy

This webinar will introduce paediatric physiotherapists to the concept of risky play and its evidence-based benefits for children’s motor, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Participants will explore how physiotherapists are uniquely positioned to promote and integrate risky play into clinical practice, community programs, and public health advocacy and discuss opportunities for supporting children with disabilities and in culturally diverse settings. OBJECTIVES ​ By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:​ Describe the eight categories of risky play and their benefits for children’s motor, cognitive, emotional, and social development​ Distinguish between risk and hazard in the context of children’s outdoor play, and critically evaluate current safety paradigms​ Discuss practical strategies for incorporating risky play into paediatric physiotherapy practice, including for children with disabilities and across diverse cultural settings​ Explore physiotherapists’ role in advocating for risky play among families, educators, healthcare colleagues and policymakers, in line with child and planetary health goals ​ AUDIENCE​ The primary audience for this session is pediatric physiotherapists, physiotherapy educators, and researchers.