Special Children's Week Event

This free public event is supported by 

and the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation.

Please note this event is free to support open access, however we do provide the option for participants who are financially able to donate to do so, and assist us in covering costs for this event.

Embracing Risky Play in School Settings.

 A Seminar with International Experts Professor Mariana Brussoni and Dr Megan Zeni

Co-authors of  the book Embracing Risky Play at School 

This presentation will review the research supporting outdoor risky play, alongside practical implementation strategies and tools for successful implementation in  school settings.

It is designed to support educators, schools, parents  and OSHC services  navigate existing systems to collectively re-think where and how learning happens.

The  presentation will explore;

• the basics of risky play (categories, examples of practice in schools, risks versus hazards/ roles and responsibilities etc)
• the principles of injury prevention, with an emphasis on understanding risks/hazards and designing learning environments that support staff who feel professionally vulnerable
• design features that support outdoor play and learning (loose parts, affordances for play & practical management tips and tricks)

Following this keynote presentaiton, we wlll have a short presentation on The Green Schools Project

Professor Jenny Veitch from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University and Esther Barker from Tract will present the Green Schools project.

This three-year project is examining the process and impact of creating new indoor and outdoor green spaces in mainstream and specialist primary schools on wellbeing, nature connection, play behaviours and school engagement.

Leading landscape designers have designed the spaces with the school students and staff and horticulture industries have provided the plants, labour and expertise to bring the new spaces to life.

The intervention is being conducted at four intervention schools – two mainstream and two specialist – while another four control schools will not have any greening. This will allow researchers to compare the experiences and outcomes of both groups.

Optimising green spaces in high-needs and mainstream primary schools is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from Deakin University, ecoDynamics and Tract and contributions from the Australian Government.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Mariana Brussoni MA, BA, PhD

is a Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine and scientist at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where she leads the Outside Play Lab.

Her award-winning research on outdoor risky play intersects injury prevention, risk, child development, public health and education to shift adults’ perceptions of risk, design play-friendly environments, and change systems to ensure all children have the time, space and freedom to play outside every day.  

Dr. Megan Zeni

is an outdoor play and learning teacher consultant and researcher in the province of British Columbia, Canada. She brings 3 decades of professional K-7 teaching experience in classrooms, outdoor classrooms, and school gardens to her collaborations with teachers and school system leaders interested in building capacity for effective and sustainable implementation of risky play at school. She is currently on contract as an outreach teacher consultant for the Ministry of Education and Child Care in the province of British Columbia, Canada. This work includes supporting education professionals, district leaders, and elementary school teachers in the early years. 

Dr. Megan Zeni earned a PhD from the University of British Columbia in curriculum studies. Megan is also a Qualified Master Gardener (QMG) and loves to share exemplars that highlight how all academic content can be taught in a school garden.

Jenny Veitch

Jenny is a Professor in the Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, at Deakin University, Australia. Her research aims to better understand the impact of the built and natural environment on physical activity and health-related behaviours. She is leading the Green Schools project.

 Esther Barker

Esther is a Principal Landscape Architect and Co-Lead of Tract’s Education Sector. She is passionate about creating inspiring learning environments that connect people with nature, support wellbeing, and help school communities thrive. Esther believes the best outcomes come from listening to the people who use a place every day, fostering meaningful engagement with students and staff to better understand their diverse needs and aspirations. This collaborative approach helps shape authentic, place specific environments that support both current and future generations of learners and educators.