13. Outdoor Play Policy

11.POLICY ON OUTDOOR PLAY

1. Rationale and Policy Considerations

The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 stipulate that all services shall ensure that— (a) a suitable, safe and secure outdoor space to which the pre-school children attending the service have access on a daily basis is provided on the premises, or (b) where no such space is provided, the pre-school children attending the service have access on a daily basis to a suitable outdoor space.

The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland state that children and young people (aged 2 –18) should be active, at a moderate to vigorous level, for at least 60 minutes every day and that muscle-strengthening, flexibility and bone-strengthening exercises should be included at least three times a week.

Outdoor play is an important part of our daily curriculum at Play Together Creche. We aim to ensure that children play outdoors every day, as weather permits.

Playing provides opportunities for independent learning and for building confidence, resilience, self-esteem and self-efficacy, all of which contribute to children’s well-being (Cole-Hamilton & Gleave, 2012).

Evidence has been emerging that there are widespread low levels of vitamin D in the general population in Ireland leading in some instances to rickets (a severe form of vitamin D deficiency causing deformity of the bones) among young children. Vitamin D is mainly produced in the body by exposure of the skin to sunlight therefore spending more time playing outdoors will help to combat this.

There is little that happens indoors that cannot happen outdoors, but the outdoors can provide opportunities for experiences that cannot be replicated indoors. Playing outside gives children unique opportunities such as:

Experiences that involve all their senses

Physical activities that involve their whole bodies

Making observations and exploration

Engaging naturally in art, and understanding early science and early mathematics concepts

Developing their language and social skills

Building and constructing with sand, water and mud

Engaging in large scale dramatic play

Engaging in risky or challenging play (HSE, 2012)

It is essential to ensure that children are kept safe while engaging in outdoor play.

Legislation and regulatory requirements

· Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Regulation 20 requires that:

· A service must provide access to the outdoors on a daily basis

· ‘Where [outdoor] play is provided’ in early years settings, there must be a Policy on Outdoor Play

· The outdoor environment must be suitable, fenced, safe, with shock-absorbing surface and regularly inspected and subjected to risk assessment

· Staff ensure supervision, adequate child/adult ratios and adequate planning for developmentally significant experiences outdoors

· Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the significance of play in the lives of children, acknowledging play as a specific right, in addition to and distinct from the child’s right to recreation and leisure.

Children need:

· to experience safe, regular, engaging opportunities for a wide variety of play outdoors to ensure that their well-being, learning and development needs are fully met.

Parents/Families need to know that:

· Their children’s need for outdoor play is appropriately provided for in order to ensure that their well-being, learning and development is optimised while they are attending the service.

· Safety will be a priority when they are playing and learning outdoors, and that they will be appropriately supervised and supported at all times while being allowed the freedom to engage in high quality play experiences

· Their children are dressed appropriately for outdoor activities. Clothing includes a hat, rain coat, rain trousers and spare clothes

· Sun cream must be applied before their child/children attend service. It is parents' responsibility. If reapplication is necessary, put sun cream in the child’s bag and request the staff member to apply the sun cream. Every effort will be made by the staff member to do this

Staff members need to be clear on:

· What is required to provide for high quality outdoor play experiences for the children.

· Their particular roles and responsibilities in relation to ensuring that children are safe and have their well-being, learning and development needs met. This includes planning for and supporting quality play experiences and ensuring the safety of the environment before and during outdoor play. It also includes the appropriate preparation of children before going outside and appropriate supervision of children at all times.

Management needs

· To ensure that all staff members are clear on their roles and responsibilities with regard to providing for quality outdoor play opportunities and experiences for all of the children who attend the service.

· All staff members to be clear on their roles and responsibilities in curriculum planning, and ensuring that the children are appropriately supervised, supported and engaged with during outdoor play.

· To provide clarity for all staff members about safety requirements for outdoor play.

· To ensure that the requirements outlined in Tusla: Quality Regulatory Framework for this policy are adequately met.

National Quality Frameworks

· Tusla: Quality and Regulatory Framework

· Síolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education Standard 2: Environments; Standard 6: Play

· Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework

· Early Years Education focused Inspection (EYEI) Framework (Department of Education and Skills)

Definitions/Glossary

Curriculum

In early years education, a curriculum is a program of activities and experiences provided to children for their well being and development.

In Ireland, we follow Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework through the four themes of Well-being, Communicating, Exploring & Thinking and Identity & Belonging to ensure the holistic development of children by the Socio-emotional, Intellectual, Linguistic and Physical points of view,

3. Policy Statement

In Play Together a strong emphasis is placed on the importance of children's play, for its own sake and as a critical factor in children’s well-being, learning and development. We believe that outdoor play has much to offer children so rather than it being a short interval in the ‘real curriculum’ of the day, we see it as an essential part of the curriculum every day.

Outdoor play activities are a vital part of childhood experience and an important complement to our indoor activities. We consider that outdoor play is just as important as the indoor programme.

We aim to provide a safe, stimulating outdoor environment where space is used effectively to enable children to explore a broad and balanced curriculum using a range of interesting and engaging resources suitable to both their individual and group needs.

The outdoor environment is an invaluable place of learning and engagement and has a positive impact on children’s physical and mental well-being. It provides opportunities for children to explore, discover and develop an understanding of the natural environment around them with unique opportunities for: sensory experiences; physical activities; observations; constructive play with sand, water and mud; socio-dramatic play; art; early science, mathematics, environmental learning and many others. Therefore, the outdoor play environment at Play Together is planned with the same care and attention as the indoor environment.

The outdoor space is designed to provide:

Varied, multisensory, challenging, creative and enriching experiences

Opportunities for noisy, boisterous, vigorous, physically active play

Opportunities for appropriate physical challenge and risk-taking that are inherent in the value of play

Different surfaces and opportunities for the development of physical strength, balance and coordination

Natural elements and loose materials that children can combine, manipulate, use and adapt in their own way, for their own purposes (open-ended materials)

Opportunities to develop language and social skills

Opportunities for exploration, observation and experimentation

Opportunities for relax, for breathing fresh air, and for contemplation

Opportunities for various types of play, including running, climbing, reasonable risky play, gardening, messy play with water, sand, mud and other materials, and many others.

Safety

Safety is a primary consideration in planning all activities. Children are encouraged to experience the outdoor area in all weather conditions, subject to a Risk assessment. Appropriate supervision of children while playing outside is paramount. Play Together aim to ensure that the risk of injury is minimised while allowing children appropriate challenges. This is important for their learning and development. Children are given the chance to stretch, test and develop their abilities, without exposing them to unacceptable hazards.

The following procedures and practices are in place to ensure that the outdoor area is suitable, safe and secure.

[See page 70 of Supporting Quality: Guidelines for Professional Practice in Early Childhood Services (3rd edition) Book 1 by Geraldine French. Barnardos’ Training and Resource Service, 2008 for further details on safety measures].

4. Procedures and Practices

· At Play Together children are able to choose to play outside at any time.

· Play Together provide enriching outdoor experiences as an extension and enhancement of indoor play. All areas of the curriculum can be fully provided for outdoors.

· A well-planned environment provides opportunities for children to seek new challenges as they master old ones.

· The provision and planning for outdoor play, just as indoor play, must reflect the diversity and richness of the experience and developing interests of the children.

· Natural play spaces can stimulate children’s imaginations and engage their sense of curiosity.

· Close observation is essential in order to assess children’s ability and to ensure appropriate planning and continuity for the outdoor curriculum. Staff will be vigilant about supervising children outdoors. Staff should ensure that their presence and position in the outdoor play area allows that all areas of the outdoor area are under constant supervision and that all children are in the sight of at least one member of staff, at all times.

Planning for learning

The outdoor play area is included in all planning for learning.

Our service ensure that:

· Children are enabled to access the outdoors on a daily basis taking appropriate measures to deal with the weather conditions for example wellies, warm clothing and hats or long sleeves and sun protection, are provided (See Procedure for outdoor clothing in all weathers).

· The outdoor play area is used as a context and a natural resource for learning and development.

· Children are consulted about their interests, needs and wishes for outdoor play and the outdoor environment.

· Children are given the opportunity to plan and have ownership of their learning in the outdoors.

· The particular strengths and needs of each child are considered.

· A wide variety of challenging, diverse, creative and enriching experiences are planned for to ensure that children’s learning and development needs are met under all four themes of Aistear:

· Well-being

· Communicating

· Exploring and Thinking

· Identity and Belonging

· The opportunities for appropriate challenge and risk-taking in play are considered in planning.

· The learning that happens in the outdoor play area is observed, assessed and recorded in the same way as learning indoors.

Outdoor Environment

The outdoor environment provides affordance for all kinds of experiences as outlined above.

It includes:

· Room for running, racing, riding bikes etc.

· A climbing wall for risky and challenging play

· A wall fitted with chalkboards

· A wooden house for pretend social play and shelter

· Movable outdoor furniture for meals and table-top activities

· A water tap, various basins and containers

· A sheltered, locked cupboard for safe storage of materials

· Space for gardening

· A sheltered den with

· Mud kitchen

· Sand pit

· Natural materials

· Children are always free to use the materials and resources following their imagination and play needs, whatever the original use, always following risk assessment.

Play opportunities

· The outdoor play area offers children the opportunity to investigate and explore, problem solve, use their imagination and creativity.

· Children experience social interactions – being able to choose whether and when to play alone or with others, to negotiate, co-operate, compete and resolve conflicts.

· Long, uninterrupted periods of time are provided for spontaneous free play.

· A variety of materials is provided to stimulate different kinds of play including:

· sand, mud, water, clay, paint, and other open-ended materials for sensory and exploratory play

· a large supply of blocks and construction toys and materials for cognitive and physical development

· dress-up clothes and props for pretend play

· balls, hoops, balancing and climbing places

· materials for building dens, making concoctions, using tools

· small world play

· art, writing, modelling and other creative activities

· natural materials for matching, sequencing, measuring, weighing, pouring for learning maths concepts.

· Open space is available for running, cycling and general free movement.

· Children are encouraged to manipulate the environment and the materials in their own way, to support their play.

· Activities which test the limits of capabilities such as lifting, balancing and climbing and chase games are included.

· All children, including those with physical impairments/disabilities, have access to play opportunities and are included in play – for children with limited motor abilities and/or health impairments this means that activities may need to be positioned to allow children to relax, to focus attention on the activity and have sufficient controlled movement for independent play.

· The value of messy play, rough-and-tumble play, and nonsense play is recognised.

· Children can enjoy energetic activity and have opportunities to run, jump, scoot, crawl, climb, swing and ride on wheeled toys.

· The outdoors offers the children opportunities for manipulative play and to develop their fine motor skills.

· Children are helped to care for the outdoor environment through the context of their outdoor play area.

· Children are given opportunities to care for living things (animals and gardening with non-toxic plants).

· Children learn how to use tools safely and effectively and to follow safety rules.

Play values

· Play is valued both for its own sake and as a critical factor in children’s wellbeing, learning and development

· All children have the right to engage in play experiences

· Children are capable and active learners

· Children learn through active hands-on experience – playing, exploring, experimenting and discovering

· Children are enabled to develop an appreciation of natural beauty and a sense of wonder about the world

· Children can play for their own purposes

· Children are played with on their terms

· Children are allowed to manage and use the space and freedom afforded by the outdoor play area

· Children are given the opportunity to relax, enjoy and have fun outdoors

· Both boys and girls can be competent in all areas.

Supervision

· All staff members will be vigilant in their supervision of the children.

· Appropriate staff ratios must be maintained in the play area at all times. A rota system is usually practised by the staff in relation to classes going outdoors. Where there is exceptionally good weather all children may be outdoors at the same time. In such a situation staff will be cognisant of this fact and give due consideration to the supervision and safety of the children.

· It must be ensured that an adult directly supervises the use of each large play structure.

· Staff members should place themselves strategically around the play area so that all children can be observed and heard and reached quickly, especially when engaging in activities that have a level of challenge/risk, for example:

· In all areas with access to water in tubs, buckets, water tables

· When children are building and/or climbing high structures

· When children are using sharp items such as sticks or tools.

· Staff members ensure that children will wear outdoor clothing suitable for the weather, following the relevant policy.

Outdoor safety procedure

· All equipment must be maintained to ensure the children’s safety.

· Visual inspections of the playground and equipment will be carried out on a daily basis before the children go outside to ensure safety is maintained.

· All staff members will be diligent in the inspection of the play areas.

· The adults will create opportunities for talking about outdoor safety, for example through story-telling and circle time, and they will take the time to develop a routine that makes children as independent as possible in following the safety rules.

· Prior to going outside, the staff member in charge of the room gathers:

· Children’s attendance register

· An incident form (see Appendix A)

· Fire safety rope

· Any medication to be kept ready for specific children, if necessary

· Any material necessary for the planned outdoor activity

· Recording instruments for documentation of play and learning

· The staff members ensure that children are changed/go to the toilet prior to going outside, to minimize the risk of accidents.

· The adult in charge makes sure that all children wear suitable outdoor clothing and protection, following the relevant procedure.

· The adult in charge counts children before and after going outdoors, and before going back inside.

· Each child is assigned to a key person who is responsible for their safety while they are outdoors.

· Emergency/first aid kits will be easily accessible.

· The use of wheeled toys will be monitored.

· It must be ensured that all children are clear about the safety rules:

· The same rules that apply inside, also apply outdoors

· Outdoor clothing must be worn – most important, hat in the sun and wellingtons, weather-proof clothing and woollen hat in cold weather

· No object can be thrown over the wall

· Everybody needs to clean their hands before eating outdoors

· Food can be only eaten on the table after it has been disinfected. Ask an adult and do it together!

· When all children are outdoors at the same time, before running, skipping and boisterous games it is necessary to clear the way, identify a safe area and ask for help and guidance from an adult: this helps protecting toddlers and younger children form collisions and other potentially dangerous consequences. Lively, boisterous and active play is always allowed and encouraged while ensuring safety

· All children and adults wash hands after coming back inside

Playground and equipment maintenance

Monthly checks

· A monthly and seasonal inspection of the playground and equipment must be carried out to determine the need for repairs.

· New equipment must be installed to the most up to date Safety Standards. Where equipment is installed that has a recommendation for a shock absorbing surface this must be rated and installed as recommended by the manufacturer.

Daily checks

· Ensure that the route the children take from the indoor to the outdoor area is free of hazards and checked daily.

· Ensure that the play area boundary (fence and gate/s) is secure, that no adult can access the area without the knowledge of the staff members in charge and no child can leave the area without supervision.

· Ensure that children cannot access the bins, oil tank/gas supply, boiler or pest control bait boxes.

· Check the area for hazards such as catch points, sharp points, protruding hardware or possible entrapment (bars on equipment must be no less than 6cm apart (round) /7.5cm apart (flat)).

· Check daily for broken glass, plastic, animal droppings.

· Check for choking hazards where children under three are present.

· Sweep hard play surfaces clean of stones, sand and gravel.

· Check sand for contamination. Ensure the sand is cleaned and disinfected regularly.

· Always remove cords, string or skipping ropes tied to slides, or other playground equipment.

· Ensure climbing equipment is not placed near clothes lines or overhead wire.

· Restrict the use of climbing structures if they cannot be kept dry.

· Check structures for frost and/or ice build-up.

· Though the presence of ice provides a learning opportunity, ice poses an extreme fall risk. Ice underfoot must be broken, sanded or salted where appropriate before children are allowed to play in the area.

· Conduct daily checks on equipment. Watch for signs of decay, rust, splinters, sharp protrusions, protruding nuts, rivets or nails.

· Take whatever action is necessary to ensure children’s safety such as removing broken equipment or erecting temporary barriers. Record any problems that require specific maintenance or repair skills that staff members cannot provide and/or removal of equipment and bring them to the attention of the manager.

· Check for any toxic plants.

Procedure for outdoor play and clothing in extreme weather

A risk assessment must be carried out before going out in any kind of extreme weather (ice, storm, extreme cold or heat, heavy rain, etc.). If there is no way to reduce the risks, that is the only occasion in which outdoor activities may be suspended for the day.

Clothing

While outdoor play in every kind of weather is proven to be beneficial to children’s health and immune system development (Cole-Hamilton & Gleave, 2012), it is crucial for health and safety that children wear suitable clothing for protection.

Parents are required to provide the following clothing and accessories prior to the child attending the service. It is very important that all children have suitable protection for minimizing the time spent in preparing for the outdoors and making each child experience comfortable and healthy.

Cold weather clothing

· Snow suit with hood or weather proof, padded coat with hood and rain proof trousers

· Woolen hat

· Wellingtons

Hot weather clothing and gear

· Light cotton hat with visor or wide brim

· Sun cream. Parents: Please apply sun cream on your child before dropping them in. It is your responsibility to do it. This helps maximize the time your child spends outdoors without need for delays. The sun cream in your child’s bag will be used in case of need for further applications.

· Summer shoes suitable for outdoor play (protecting toes and heels)

Rainy weather during warm months

· Light rainproof coat with hood

· Wellingtons

Outdoor play where the outdoor play area is not located on the premises

· Staff will ensure that children are not at risk from members of the public and are protected from unwanted attention while in an outdoor play area not located on the premises.

· The service advises the insurance company about the outdoor play area and frequency of access to this area off the premises.

· Staff will implement the Outings Policy, if required.

5. Communication Plan for staff and families

All parents/guardians are informed of the policy and procedures regarding Outdoor Play on enrolment. Staff members will check with parents/guardians that they have read and understood the policy and provide any assistance needed.

A summary of this policy is included in the Parent/Guardian Handbook. This policy will also be reviewed with A summary of this policy is included in the Parents’/guardians’ Handbook. This policy will also be included in staff induction and annual staff training.

A copy of all policies will be available during all hours of operation to all staff and to parents/guardians in the Policy Folder located on Play Together Creche’s website at www.playtogethergalway.com

Policies are shared with all parents/guardians via email.

Parents/guardians may receive a copy of the full policy at any time upon request. Parents/guardians and staff will receive notification of any updates through Play together Creche’s official communication panel.

6. Related Policies, Procedures and Forms

· Risk Management Policy

· Outings Policy

· Policy on Administration of Medication

· Accidents and Incidents Policy

· Settling-In Policy

· Behaviour Guidance Policy

· Safety Statement

· Curriculum Policy

· Interactions and Communication Policy

· Child Protection Policy

· Physical Play Policy

· Sun Safety Policy

· Supervision of Children Indoor and Outdoor Policy

· First Aid Policy

· Safety and Security Policy

· Accident and Incident Form

7. References/Supporting Documents/Related Legislation

· Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016

· Tusla: Quality and Regulatory Framework

· The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland (2009) Department of Health and Children, Health Service Executive

· Síolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education

· Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework

· Aistear Síolta Practice Guide – Creating and Using the Learning Environment Self-evaluation Tool

· Cole-Hamilton, I. and Gleave, J. (2012) A world without play: A literature review London: NCB Information Centre.

· Frost, J.L. and Norquist, T. (2007) ‘The importance of play’. Recreation management, 8(5)

8. Who Must Observe This Policy

This policy must be observed by management and all staff members.

9. Actions to be Followed if the Policy is not Implemented

If the policy is not implemented, investigation will be taken by Manager/Owner (Iwona Sawicka).

If you, as a staff member or a parent, consider that this policy is not being implemented, you can follow the Complaints Policy and Procedure to make a complaint.

10. Contact Information

If you need more information about this policy, contact:

Name

Iwona Sawicka

Phone number or email

0833187143

091/458167 or 091/458999

11. Policy Created

Date this policy was created

March 2016

12. Signatures

	Name and position	Signature
Approved by	Iwona Sawicka

13. Review Date

Reviewed	March 2017	Iwona Sawicka
Reviewed	March 2018	Iwona Sawicka
Reviewed	March 2019	Iwona Sawicka
Reviewed and updated Reviewed	March 2020 March 2021	Iwona Sawicka Iwona Sawicka

Next Review Date

Date this policy will be reviewed

March 2022