Outside Activities

Close supervision of children outside is ESSENTIAL. Accidents can happen within a second but can often be prevented with proper supervision. Staff are expected to supervise by positioning themselves to see as many children as possible whether in the classroom or on the playground. Teaching staff supervises primarily by sight. Supervision of preschoolers (3-5 y.o.) by sound is allowed for short periods of time (3-5 minutes), as long as teachers check frequently on children who are out of sight. Teaching staff must supervise toddlers and twos (Busy Bees) by sight and sound at all times. 

The maximum capacity for children on the preschool playground is 34. This is based on square footage per child. For this reason, Buttercups and Koalas have alternating morning playground times.

Children are our first priority. Staff may not use outdoor time for socializing with each other.

When children are taken outside they should be dressed appropriately. Parents are expected to dress their child appropriate for the weather, but if they are not, the Center keeps extra clothing on hand to ensure they are protected against cold, heat, sunburn, and insect-born disease. Staff ensures that:

• children wear clothing that is dry and layered for warmth in cold weather, 
• have the opportunity to play in the shade. 
• Children wear sun-protective clothing, sunscreen, or both (sunscreen with written parental permission only). Parents are instructed to apply sunscreen to their child in the morning before dropping them off, and Center staff re-apply sunscreen before going out for afternoon outdoor play. Sunscreen is applied from mid-April through mid-October.
• when public health authorities recommend the use of insect repellants and when provided by parent/s, a repellant containing DEET will be used, and only on children older than 2 months, and is applied no more than once per day (with written parental permission only).