Organizing Your Childcare Outdoor Areas

Adding some natural materials and props to your childcare outdoor areas will encourage kids to play safely and explore the outdoors. Implement policies and safety checklists to help keep kids safe while they play.

Organize your space

Organizing your outdoor space for outdoor childcare can be a daunting task, but it's not as hard as it may seem. It's also a good idea to involve the kids, especially if you're looking to maximize the space you have to work with.

Aside from having a good time playing outdoors, a tidy space can also help to reduce accidents in the home. To help with this, a good strategy is to create a designated space for kids to play in. This can be as simple as a playhouse or a series of cubbies. You'll also want to keep an eye out for deliveries, which can have a significant impact on the amount of play time your kids are getting.

It's no secret that your backyard can become a breeding ground for bugs and other nasties, so a good maintenance plan is a must. This means keeping a close eye on your grass and bushes, and removing leaves and debris from your deck, patio and other outdoor areas.

Include natural materials

Including natural materials in outdoor childcare areas can make for an engaging and educational experience for both children and educators alike. Natural materials can be found all around you and are an ideal way to encourage children to exercise their imaginations. Aside from their obvious use in playtime, natural materials can be used for other purposes such as art and science.

One of the first things to consider when deciding on the best way to adorn your yard or garden is what type of materials are most suitable for the purpose. While natural materials may not be as cheap as plastic, you can still find a variety of environmentally friendly materials for your use. For instance, bamboo pieces and pine cones make for great repurposed items. Another benefit to these materials is that they can be recycled.

Encourage risky play

Educators have been discussing the importance of risky play in child care outdoor areas. The benefits of risky play for children are many, and include development of physical and cognitive skills, as well as self-confidence.

However, educators are also concerned about the associated responsibilities. For example, some children used play equipment in unsafe ways to continue a challenge. While risky play is natural, educators are aware that children need supervision and that they must be protected from injury.

Educators have been focusing on the importance of developing a sense of limits during risk assessment in outdoor play. They have also discussed strategies for encouraging risky play, such as letting children lead, stepping back, and staying close to children.

The importance of outdoor risky play is supported by research. It builds skeletal strength, muscle endurance, and general spatial-orientation abilities. It also develops cognitive and social skills. It increases self-confidence, and it helps children develop problem-solving and resilience skills.

Add props

Adding props to outdoor childcare areas can enhance the play experience for children. A variety of props helps to stimulate cognitive development, creates opportunities for shared play, and encourages variety in movements and textures. Using props also promotes fine motor skills and allows children to explore their imaginations and make sense of the world around them.

Props can be as simple as paper bags, or as elaborate as a shopping cart. Anything you have in your house can be used as a prop. For example, you could hang a dress up dress from a wall. You can also include pictures from magazines or books. Children can use props to act out stories, pretend to be a waitress, or act out the grocery store.

A variety of props can be used to encourage drama in outdoor childcare areas. Creating a variety of dramatic play themes encourages richer play. A simple fishing theme can include a bucket, fishing poles with magnets, lake maps, and old clothes. Other ideas include a dance theme with colorful bobbles on vests, tutus, streamers, and scarves.

Implement your program's policies and safety checklists

Using a checklist as a jumping off point is a great idea. It ensures that you have a high level of compliance, and it helps keep your program aligned with best practices. A good starting point is the CCHP Health and Safety Checklist, which is a resource provided by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP). Using this checklist as a guideline will ensure that you are using the newest and best tools and techniques available, and is the quickest and easiest way to make sure your program is operating at peak efficiency.

In addition to using a checklist, you may want to use a child care health consultant to perform an assessment of your program's existing policies and safety procedures. Having a health consultant conduct this assessment will help you understand what is and is not working for you, and will provide recommendations for improvement.