The purpose of this risky play memorandum of understanding is to ensure that parents and the early learning program are on the same page regarding risky play. Supporting such play is much easier when the adults involved agree on the topic, but this is seldom the case.

In a review of over 120 early learning program handbooks I conducted, programs rarely even mentioned risky play. I’ve found that even programs that actively support risky play in all its forms and make it a part of their daily curriculum rarely broach the topic during their enrollment process.

This form, like other risky play resources I’ve created here at Playvolution HQ, is intended to model how the topic can be approached.

Feel free to download the PDF, copy and paste the text, and customize it to meet your needs.

Let’s Take A Tour

The risky play memorandum of understanding is pretty self-explanatory, but let’s walk through its sections:

• Parties— This section clarifies who the collaborating parties are: the early learning program and the parents or guardians of a specific child.
• Purpose— This section explains the document’s purpose: shared understanding and cooperation regarding risky play.
• Agreement— The section contains the meat of the document. It clarifies some terminology and then lays out expectations for both parents and the program.
• Duration And Review— The section clarifies how long the memo of understanding will be in effect and when it may be updated.
• Signatures— Finally, the document is signed and dated by the program director and the child’s parents or guardians.

Using The Risky Play Memorandum Of Understanding

I’d recommend not only including this form in your enrollment packet but also taking the time to go through it step-by-step with the child’s parents or guardians during the onboarding process so they are clear on what they are agreeing to. You shouldn’t use this form on its own. It should be used in conjunction with a clear and concise risky play policy specific to your program.

Including this form and your enrollment paperwork and going through it line by line with new families may seem like busy work, but it’s worth the effort since the goal is to highlight the importance of this type of play.

A robust risky play policy and the inclusion of this form in your enrollment paperwork should help weed out families that are not a good fit for your program.

After the form is signed and tucked away in the child’s file, you can pull it out to remind parents that they agreed to the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual risk-taking your program helps children embrace whenever necessary.

Free PDF

Here’s the free risky play memorandum of understanding for your downloading and printing pleasure–feel free to customize it to meet your needs:

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