Examining the Relationship Between Four To Six Year Olds' School Readiness Levels and Their Parents’ Tolerance of Risky Play

Abstract

Starting primary school is an important milestone in the lives of children and their primary caregivers. On the grounds that play is critical to children’s self-expression and knowledge of themselves and their environment, it is recommended that all activities aimed at supporting preschoolers’ primary-school readiness should incorporate play. Especially risky play has a range of benefits, but parents’ desire to protect their children generally overrides their inclinations to allow them to engage in risky play. This study explored the possibility of a relationship between 420 four- to six-year-old preschoolers’ readiness levels and their parents’ tolerance for risky play. Data were collected using a personal information form prepared by the researchers, the Developmental Primary School Readiness Scale-Short Form, and the Risky Game Allowance Scale for children of this age group. Data analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the two target variables. However, there were also statistically significant differences in children’s readiness levels depending on the number of siblings they had and their parents’ educational attainment, ages, and duration of marriage. Parents’ tolerance for risky play was generally low but was higher when the child had been in preschool longer and higher when the parents’ educational attainment was greater. © 2025 TACTYC.