Parental Assessment of Benefits and of Dangers Determines Children’s Permission to Play Outdoors

During the early years, children’s outdoor play is dependent on parental supervision. Parents’ perceptions are likely to influence what the child is permitted to do. To better understand the involved mechanisms in parents’ decision making in such contexts, an online photo-based questionnaire was administered. The tool investigates, in different situations, parents and their children’s experience, parents’ perceptions, and permission to play. A total of 417 parents of children aged from 1.5 and 6.0 completed the questionnaire. Results showed that parents, overall, have a positive attitude towards outdoor play. Main concerns were about risk of injury but in most cases, perceived benefits outweigh perceived dangers. “Sawing wood” was the only situation with a negative benefits/dangers balance. A linear regression analysis revealed that permission to play outdoors is based on parental assessment of benefits and dangers. Perceived benefits appeared to have more influence on parental decision than perceived dangers, while perceived competence had only a small influence. The results also showed that parents’ childhood experience of outdoor play was an important determinant for adults’ perceptions, perhaps demonstrating intergenerational concerns, as outdoor play is in decline. To overcome a negative intergenerational effect on children’s outdoor play, interventions and communication should focus on associated benefits.