Show Notes
What happens when one kid climbs up the slide while another is coming down? Is going up the slide really dangerous? Or is it just one of those playground rules we’ve inherited without thinking too hard about it?
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, Rusty Keeler dives into one of the surprisingly spicy debates of early childhood play: Should kids go UP the slide?
Rusty shares stories from risky play conversations with educators, including a triumphant tube-slide climb, a former emergency room nurse who has seen more than her share of childhood injuries, and *content warning* a few genuine playground horror stories involving sticks, teeth, and yes, an eyeball.
The point isn’t to dismiss anyone’s fears. It’s to understand where those fears come from and ask whether a blanket “NO” is always the best answer.
This episode is really about more than slides. It’s about questioning old rules. Making room for different comfort levels and finding thoughtful ways to say yes to challenge without ignoring safety.
Top Three Takeaways:
Question the rules. Ask why they exist. Then ask whether they still make sense.
Make space for different perspectives. Our experiences shape how we see risk.
Find your way to yes. Safety and adventurous play don’t have to be opposites.
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Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide
More from Play Nature Podcast
Think about this…the best thing we can do for children is…less and then more. Less directing. Less correcting. Less rushing to the rescue. More mud. More mess. More wonder!
What if the answer to better learning, happier kids, and even easier classroom management is just outside the door?
What if play didn’t need a lesson plan? Or an outcome? Or a grown-up standing nearby explaining what’s supposed to happen next?
What happens when children meet a muddy hill, a dangling rope, and a whole lot of possibility? They climb. They slip. They tumble. They try again.
Nature is everywhere. In the trees. In the rain. In the crack in the sidewalk where one determined little plant is doing its thing. In the tree that looks like a butt.