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health
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Outdoor Play PolicyAt Wild Monkeys Childcare, our children have free flow access to our wonderful outdoor space. As a Forest, Beach and Nature Nursery, we’re committed to making sure that children can spend as much time outside as possible, no matter the weather, as per Ofsted and EYFS guidelines. Our staff are all highly trained professionals, who are able to judge the weather conditions and make decisions on outdoor play accordingly. As they say in Scandinavia, there’s no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing!
Please make sure that your child has suitable footwear and clothing if possible. In winter, this would include a warm coat, wellies or sturdy shoes, and ideally a hat, scarf, and gloves. In summer, this would include a sun hat, and a thin top/cardigan/t-shirt with long sleeves – the NHS advises that children should cover skin when out in the sun, even if it’s hot. Sun Protection Sunburn and too much sun exposure can cause significant harm to children, both at the time and much later in life. Children have much more sensitive skin than adults, and so can burn more easily. We will avoid spending prolonged periods of time outdoors during the hottest part of the day, and we will provide shelter and shaded areas outdoors. When we are on outings, we will try and protect your child by finding shady areas and using a sunshade on the pushchair. We will encourage your child to drink regularly to prevent dehydration. We can use either the setting’s suncream or a suncream you have provided. You will need to sign a form confirming this, and we also ask that you apply suncream before bringing your child to the setting. All children must either have their own suncream or have permission for us to use the setting’s suncream. We have a suncream station. The setting will use suncream of at least SPF50 in line with guidance from the NHS, and the brand will be specified on the permission form. Any suncream you provide must also be at least SPF50. Please ensure that your child has a suitable sunhat, ideally not a baseball cap as these do not provide as much protection as ‘bucket’ style hats. Please also make sure that your child’s skin is covered as much as possible, with shoulders covered at a minimum, to help us prevent sunburn. Medical Conditions and Outdoor Play It’s a common myth that getting cold will make you ill or worsen an existing illness – but evidence suggests that spending more time outside actually makes children less likely to get ill. Being out in the fresh air minimises the spread of germs, and physical activity outside keeps children healthy, allowing their immune systems to fight off any germs. At Wild Monkeys Childcare, we are unable to keep children indoors due to illness or parent preference. Keeping children indoors due to illness is unfair to both your child and the other children in our care. If your child is kept inside, they may become upset and distressed due to not being allowed to go outside and play with their friends. Keeping a member of staff inside to look after a single child interferes with that staff member’s other duties and means that children wanting to play outside may not be able to due to staff ratios. If you believe that your child is too unwell to go outside, then they are unlikely to be well enough to attend nursery at all, so we suggest that it would be better for them to remain at home until they are fully recovered and able to take part in all nursery activities, including outdoor play. We do make exceptions for children with medical conditions affecting their ability to go outside. This would require a note from your doctor, outlining the child’s condition and the reasons they are unable to go outside or are limited in the amount of time they can spend outside. Often, we are able to make adjustments to allow a child to experience the outside area and free flow play to the fullest of their ability. If you have any further questions about our outdoor free flow and/or our forest school ethos, please see our website or get in touch.
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