We value the importance of outdoor play as an intrinsic part of our curriculum.
The outdoor area is an extension of the indoor area where children have opportunities for
doing things in different ways and on different scales and to explore the world around them. It
offers children freedom to explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant. We
believe the outdoor environment has a positive impact on children’s sense of well-being and
helps all aspects of the children’s development. The curriculum guidance for the Early Years
Foundation Stage (EYFS) actively promotes playing outdoors.
We will provide adequate equipment to ensure that children are both safe and healthy
whatever the weather to enable the children to play and enjoy the inside and outside
environment/facilities on a daily basis.
We aim to provide a safe, stimulating outdoor environment where space is used
effectively to enable children to explore a broad balanced curriculum using a range of interesting
resources suitable to their individual needs. We aim to provide free-flow outside play every session
where all areas of provision are reflected and take into account children’s interests.
In order to achieve this we:
- • Complete a full risk assessment before the children have access to the outside area.
- • Supervise children at all times whilst outside. A member of staff is deployed on outside
play throughout the session. This staff member observes the flow of children and calls for
extra support when needed.
- • Ensure the outdoor area is safe, secure and well maintained.
- • Have open door access at all times apart from breakfast, lunch and tea.
- • Use the garden as a natural resource for learning and extend indoor play outside.
- • Provide large equipment for physical play and provide opportunities for children to develop
their large motor skills.
- • Ensure that the area offers children the opportunity to investigate and explore, problem
solve, mark make, and use their imagination and creativity.
- • Give children the opportunity to have ownership of the garden by involving them in planning.
- • Help children to care for and respect the outdoor environment, care for livings things, and
appreciate the natural world.
- • Use tools safely and effectively and follow safety rules.
- • Take into account children’s interests and be responsive to their learning
experiences.
- • Allow children to expand on their interests, make choices and have freedom to explore.
- • Encourage children to be independent and learn to tidy the equipment after use.
- • Allow children to experience all types of weather, ensuring they have with appropriate
clothing.
How we protect children from the weather:
- • When the temperature is extremely hot it is monitored by the staff and they will decide
daily whether the children need to stay indoors for their own safety. If the temperature is
extremely hot and the Met Office UV rating is above 5 children will be limited to playing
out before 11am and after 3pm www.metoffice.gov.uk
- • We encourage all children to wear a hat, preferably legionnaire style, while playing
outside in the sun.
- • We ask parents to provide a named sun hat.
- • We will apply broad spectrum sunscreen (min, factor 30 ) to all children before they can
access the outside are. This will be applied at least minutes before going outside.
- • We support older children to apply their own sun cream to promote independence and develop
self-care skills.
- • Babies under six months old will not be out in direct sunlight.
- • When registering their child parents sign to give permission for sun cream to be applied.
- • Staff will check to see if a child is allowed to have sunscreen before applying and will
wash their hands –in-between applying sunscreen to each child.
- • We ask parents to provide a bag with seasonally appropriate spare clothing and have spare
clothes available to lend to children.
- • We make sure that children have access to fresh drinking water and encourage children to
drink regularly to stop dehydration.
- • We teach children about being healthy including about the weather and appropriate
clothing.
- • In wet weather we ask parents to provided with wellington boots and waterproof clothing
for the outdoor area.
- • In snow and/or icy weather children will be well dressed in warm clothing and time outside
will be monitored to ensure children do not become too cold.
- • The building is maintained to a comfortable temperature, if the temperatures become
uncomfortably hot or cold then the decision will be made whether to close for the day.
