Fifty Dangerous Things: a Field Guide for Free-Range Children

A child-rearing book that encourages danger? Don’t stop reading just yet, helicopter parents, because even though Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler’s Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) encourages you to let kids dabble in life’s scarier, unpredictable outreaches, the book also suggests that you accompany them on the journey.

Tulley (founder of the Tinkering School) and Spiegler collect a range of DIY projects, skills and experiences that, while “dangerous” in theory, can actually put kids more in control of their world when mastered. (Playing with fire, tasting electricity and super-gluing your fingers together, to name some tamer examples.) Much like the 2007 TED talk from Tulley that inspired it (video below), the book tackles danger with a sense of humor; however, each activity carefully outlines potential risks and includes detailed instructions for doing danger, er, safely.

While we’re a bit wary of endorsing any of the 50 activities (microwaving a CD? driving a car?), we can’t deny the soundness of the argument Tulley makes for the book on his Fifty Dangerous Things website: “Walking is dangerous when we start as babies, but we persevere and it becomes safe. Next we learn to negotiate stairs. Why stop there? Why not practice and become proficient at walking on the roof or walking on a tightrope? These are just a few of the Fifty Dangerous Things that we invite you to try.”

Feeling up for the adventure? Get Fifty Dangerous Things for $25.95 from Amazon — and if you’re interested in the TED talk that inspired the book, check out Tever’s presentation below: