1KHO 663: Childhood Without Free Play Is a Health Crisis | Rusty Keeler, Adventures in Risky Play

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Ginny Yurich

Kids & Family, Parenting

4.9 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 29 December 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack here Get your free 2026 tracker sheets here ** In this conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with natural playscape designer and author Rusty Keeler to talk about what kids are actually built for: climbing, hiding, building, negotiating, tumbling, experimenting, and testing themselves in the real world. Rusty shares how a trip to Europe shifted his whole philosophy from equipment-based playgrounds to wild, nature-rich spaces full of loose parts, nooks and crannies, mud, water, tools, and possibility—plus why his book Adventures in Risky Play is basically a permission slip for parents who feel like childhood has gotten over-managed. Rusty reminds us that kids don’t need us to manufacture wonder. They need time, space, and a little more trust. Find Rusty’s work (including his Play Nature Podcast) and explore the book/resources he mentions here. **Intro song performed by In Paradise and Two Better Friends. Learn more at www.inparadisemusic.com and stream "Beautiful World" here Follow Two Better Friends here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, oh, it's a beautiful world.
0:05.0	Ain't nothing on a screen that's ever gonna beat this view.
0:10.0	Oh, oh, it's a beautiful world.
0:16.0	And I just wanna share it with, I just want to share with you this beautiful world such a beautiful world
0:27.4	before we begin I want to say thank you for being here the 1,000 hours outside podcasts exist because of listeners just like you.
0:39.8	People who believe childhood, family life, and adulthood are richer when we stay connected
0:44.6	to the real world.
0:45.8	Today's conversation is an important one.
0:47.5	I'm talking with a playground designer named Rusty Keeler who has spent more than 25 years
0:53.1	shaping outdoor play environments for children
0:55.3	all over the world. We talk about why childhood without free play has quietly become a health
1:00.4	crisis and what it looks like to create spaces and lives that know how to say yes to play.
1:05.6	This episode might shift how you see playgrounds, backyards, and even childhood itself.
1:10.3	If this podcast has encouraged you
1:11.8	in any way, one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to support it is by leaving a review
1:16.4	wherever you listen. I read them, and they give me a lot of encouragement. They matter more
1:20.7	than you think, and they help this message reach families who are looking for something
1:24.0	quiet or slower, healthier, and more grounded. You can also share an episode with a friend.
1:29.1	Every podcast app makes it easy.
1:31.1	And that personal share is how this community keeps growing.
1:33.9	Now, for a few things I'm really excited about.
1:36.3	We have just released our free 2026, 1,000 hours outside tracker sheets, and they are
	...

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