Qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
Unit: Unit 1.2: Support healthy lifestyles for children through exercise
Learning outcome: Be able to support children’s exercise in an outdoor space
Assessment criteria: Make recommendations for the outdoor provision for own setting
It is important that outdoor provision in early years settings is of high quality, as it can have a significant impact on children’s development. You can identify ways to improve outdoor provision by reflecting on your own activities as well as the setting as a whole.
There are a number of ways in which the outdoor provision in a setting might be improved.
One way would be to invest in additional or replacement equipment. This could include items such as climbing frames, swings, or sand and water play equipment.
Another way to improve outdoor provision would be to introduce new activities. This could involve setting up a mud kitchen, for example, or providing opportunities for children to explore nature. Alternatively, changes or improvements could be made to existing activities. This could involve, for example, making the activities more challenging or adjusting them to meet the needs of different age groups.
Additional staff training could also be beneficial. This could involve, for example, training on how to set up and run outdoor activities or on how to deal with accidents and incidents.
Finally, changes or improvements could be made to policies and procedures. For example, a policy could be introduced that all children must spend time outside daily, regardless of the weather. Alternatively, procedures could be implemented to ensure that outdoor play is adequately supervised.
Making even small changes to the outdoor provision in a setting can positively impact children’s holistic development. By taking the time to reflect on the provision and identify ways in which it could be improved, you can make a valuable contribution to the setting.