中文导读

看到孩子爬上高高的树，或者骑车飞快地冲下坡，很多家长都会捏一把汗。可一项大型综述研究认为，这类“冒险游戏”也许正是孩子成长所需要的。英国埃克塞特大学和加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚大学的研究团队检索了五个数据库，汇总了全球 74 项研究，考察户外冒险游戏与 3–12 岁儿童健康的关系。文章先从家长的担心切入，再介绍研究做法和“冒险游戏”的含义，接着说明主要发现以及打闹游戏这一例外，然后引用研究负责人对“安全与机会如何平衡”的看法，最后交代研究的局限：证据质量总体不高，只能说明两者有关联，不能证明因果。阅读时可留意 Yet、However、Instead 等词如何引出转折，以及 suggests、tend to、may、linked with 等表达如何为结论划定边界。

正文

Many parents feel nervous when they see a child climbing a tall tree or riding a bike fast down a hill. It is natural to want children to stay safe. Yet a large new review suggests that this kind of play may also be good for them. Children who have more chances for adventurous outdoor play tend to have better physical and mental health, as well as stronger social and thinking skills.

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看到孩子爬上高高的树，或者骑着自行车飞快地冲下山坡，许多家长都会感到紧张。希望孩子平安是人之常情。然而，一项新的大型综述研究表明，这类游戏可能也对孩子有好处。有更多机会进行户外冒险游戏的孩子，往往身心更健康，社交能力和思维能力也更强。

The review was led by researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK and the University of British Columbia in Canada, and it was published in the journal PLOS One on October 26. The team searched five research databases and found 74 studies from around the world. Each study looked at outdoor play among children aged three to 12 and measured some part of their health.

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这项综述由英国埃克塞特大学和加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚大学的研究人员牵头，于 10 月 26 日发表在学术期刊《PLOS One》上。研究团队检索了五个研究数据库，找到了来自世界各地的 74 项研究。每项研究都考察了 3 到 12 岁儿童的户外游戏，并测量了他们健康状况的某个方面。

Researchers often call this “risky play.” It is exciting play in which children take small risks within certain limits. Examples include climbing to high places, moving at speed, playing near water or fire, using real tools such as a hammer, exploring without an adult, and play fighting.

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研究人员常把这类游戏称为“冒险游戏”。这是一种让孩子在一定限度内承担小风险的刺激游戏。例子包括爬到高处、快速移动、在水边或火边玩耍、使用锤子等真正的工具、在没有大人陪同的情况下探索，以及打闹嬉戏。

The results were mostly positive. Risky play in general, and places that support it, such as creative playgrounds and natural spaces, were linked with better health in several areas. These included physical health, mental health, social skills, thinking skills and the ability to judge risk. Being allowed to go out without an adult was linked with more physical activity. However, the evidence on play fighting was mixed, and this type of play was linked with more aggressive behaviour.

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研究结果大多是积极的。总体而言，冒险游戏以及支持这类游戏的场所，比如富有创意的游乐场和自然空间，与多个方面更好的健康状况相关。这些方面包括身体健康、心理健康、社交能力、思维能力以及判断风险的能力。允许孩子在没有大人陪同的情况下外出，与更多的体育活动相关。不过，关于打闹游戏的证据并不一致，而且这类游戏与更多的攻击性行为相关。

Professor Helen Dodd, who directs the Outdoor Play Research Centre at Exeter, said that removing these chances takes away “rich learning opportunities“ that earlier generations took for granted. “Of course, we all want to keep our children safe,” she said, but focusing only on safety can do children “a disservice.” In her view, the goal is not a fixed amount of risky play. Instead, children need chances to lead their own play and to make mistakes.

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埃克塞特大学户外游戏研究中心主任海伦·多德教授说，剥夺这些机会，就等于拿走了前几代人视为理所当然的“丰富的学习机会”。她说：“当然，我们都希望孩子安全。”但只关注安全反而可能“亏待”孩子。在她看来，目标并不是让孩子玩够固定分量的冒险游戏，而是让孩子有机会主导自己的游戏，并且犯错。

The researchers are also careful about what their work can show. The overall quality of the evidence was low to moderate, and some areas had only a few studies. Dodd noted that the review shows a link between risky play and good health, but not cause and effect. Her team plans further research to fill these gaps and to help society understand risk in children’s play.

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研究人员也谨慎地说明了这项研究能证明什么。证据的总体质量为低到中等，有些领域只有少数几项研究。多德指出，这项综述显示冒险游戏与良好健康之间存在关联，但并不能证明因果关系。她的团队计划开展进一步研究来填补这些空白，并帮助社会理解儿童游戏中的风险。

新闻来源

• University of Exeter · Adventurous play linked to better physical and mental health in children (26 Oct 2026)
• PLOS One · Outdoor risky play and health-related outcomes in children aged 3–12 years: A mixed-methods systematic review (26 Oct 2026)

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