Can Forest School experience moderate the relationship between self-regulation in children and risky play allowance by parents?

Self-regulation skills are essential for children’s development. Recent research suggests that risky play may support these skills by fostering risk-assessment and independent decision-making. However, the interplay between parental attitudes—specifically risky play allowance—and natural learning environments such as Forest Schools requires further investigation. This study examines whether Forest School experience moderates the relationship between parental risky play allowance and children’s self-regulation. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 255 parents of children aged 4–6 years. The findings indicate that parental risky play allowance positively predicts children’s self-regulation, after controlling for age and gender. Furthermore, the relationship between parental allowance and self-regulation was observed to be stronger among children participating in Forest School programs. These results suggest that Forest School participation may complement parental efforts in fostering self-regulation in children. Implications for early childhood education and future research are discussed.