Outdoor play is a vital part of children’s development and through playing outside children can develop greater physical, social, sensory, language, mathematical and scientific skills.

We will include outdoor play in our regular planning ensuring that we offer a wide range of learning experiences.  We will encourage running, jumping and climbing and balancing on appropriate equipment in order to aid and promote physical development and good co-ordination.  Such activities will also make children aware of the space around them and will encourage them to use space appropriately.

We agree that all indoor activities can be transferred to the outdoor play area.  These will include sand and water play, arts and crafts and current Early Years topics.

Activities planned for outdoor play and education will include planting and gardening, discussion of growing and living things, animals and birds that use our garden.  The seasons of the year will be incorporated into outdoor play and there will be time for reflective and quiet play.

We agree that as a team we are all responsible for setting up and clearing away equipment.  We must all be aware of the children’s safety, not just within our key groups.  A security and safety check of the outdoor play area must be completed before children go out.  This will be performed by the first member/s of staff using the garden.

We will encourage children to be confident in the outdoor play area but we agree that the children will set and discover their own limitations in their own time.