Learning to make your voice heard is a vital skill for children with disabilities, who may need to self-advocate across many settings in life. Self-determination, including competency in self-advocacy, is associated with increased success in educational placements and workplaces, increased sense of wellbeing, and increased self-confidence (Tilley et al., Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 33:1151–1165, 2020); (Wehmeyer, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17:7121, 2020). To develop these skills, children with disabilities need to be given opportunities to make their own decisions when faced with choices and risky situations (Roberts et al., Journal of Disability Policy Studies 26:209–220, 2014). Outdoor play is inherently unpredictable and therefore contains a range of risks and decision-making opportunities (Kochanowski & Carr, Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2), 146–167, 2014); however, children with disabilities are less likely to be given the opportunity to experience risky play (Stillianesis et al., Disability and Society 37(8):1272–1292, 2021). In this thematic literature review, the current evidence around the association between access to outdoor risky play and opportunities to practise self-advocacy and self-determination is assessed, with a focus on gaps in the research and possible future directions.