Outdoor Play Equipment Policy

Playing and learning in an outdoor environment is vital to aid the physical development of young children and to encourage them to continue a healthy lifestyle as they continue their development into adulthood.

We encourage the children in our care to take part in a variety of physical activities and provide a range of resources to make it fun and enjoyable. This provides opportunity to develop physical skills, self-confidence, and coordination.

Alongside this development can be an element of risk taking which although promotes self-esteem needs to be managed carefully in order to keep the children safe. It is important for children to learn about danger and risk taking; however, in order to make the garden a safe place and to reduce the risk of possible accidents we have put the following procedures in place:

• All equipment will be used in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Children will be taught how to use the equipment safely in a way that is appropriate for their stage of development and understanding.
• Children will be encouraged to take turns and share equipment.
• The equipment will be checked and cleaned before each use.
• The equipment will be monitored for wear and tear or damage in line with our risk assessments and withdrawn from use if faulty.
• Children will be encouraged to participate and will be provided with support but will not be made to do any activity that they are uncomfortable with.

If you have any concerns regarding your child using any piece of equipment in our garden or with this policy we will be happy to discuss them with you.