Encouraging your children to try new experiences or activities will help build their confidence and ability to make judgements. Activities such as climbing a tree, building a den in the back garden or going on a nature trail in the woods may involve an element of risk - but allowing your children to experience new adventures helps to build their resilience and ability to make judgements.

Exposure to well managed risks helps children build confidence and improves their ability to face risks in the future. Adventure activities are an ideal way of developing this skill. And adventure doesn't have to be a challenge! We've included some simple ideas in this pack but you can also download the Elastoplast 'Kids Adventure' pack from this site for more ideas to encourage your children to use their judgement, observation and imagination.

You might be worried that your child will come to harm and so over-protect. To encourage independence you can follow a simple plan:

1. Take a risk, let your child do something they have never tried before
2. Set some rules, so they don’t go too far
3. Reward your child for achieving something themselves
4. Rescue - think ahead of potential risks and put in some safety nets in case all doesn’t go according to plan. If it goes wrong, modify for next time, but allow more adventures!

• Let your children pay for their own sweets and toys in a shop
• Let your children take some risks in a controlled way to build confidence e.g. let them go to the corner shop while you follow some distance behind
• Encourage your children to order their own food in a café or restaurant
• Allow lots of time for free play with other children - not just adult-supervised activities
• Encourage good communication regarding boundaries and activities your children can do with their friends
• If your child's afraid of trying new things, work at developing a 'can-do' attitude, slowly working up to the outcome you both want
• With more adventurous children, explain that some risks are just too dangerous and negotiate safe, agreed boundaries
• If possible, get together with other adults in your neighbourhood to take active steps to look out for the safety of each other’s children
• Encourage your children to do small tasks for themselves around the home, e.g., dressing themselves (choosing their own clothes), making a sandwich, unloading the washing machine, hanging out laundry. It doesn't matter if they don't do it perfectly - they have done it their way and achieved something