Tel: 01392 279361 Email: admin@wecc.devon.sch.uk
Outdoor Play
Why do we play outside in all weathers?
What are the children learning?
We are an all-weather school and your children will get access to outside in all weathers, all year round.
Effective Practice in the Early Years Foundation Curriculum states:
“The outdoor environment has unique characteristics and features. Outdoor learning has equal value to indoor learning. Outdoor learning has positive impact on children’s well-being and development. Children need the support of attentive and engaged adults who are enthusiastic about the outdoors and understand the importance of outdoor learning.”
As a school we fully endorse and value our outstanding outdoor environment. We believe children will have learning opportunities when outside across the curriculum and our team will be alongside them co exploring and extending their learning. The natural world, trees, plants, flowers, change in seasons, wildlife and animals give children a sense of awe and wonder and reverence about life and the world around them.
In addition to this we believe that fresh air is good for us and that they will not become ill by playing outside. Research shows that being outside is good for wellbeing, physical health and sleep.
Physical strength can be improved outside. Social skills, sharing our bikes for example, and waiting for turns is a daily activity. Research in speech development show children make more utterances – speak more outside.
I have found an article by Barnardo’s which covers all the reasons why we play outside – I was going to write myself but this has summed it up so well. Please read it to understand why we play outside in all weathers.
How can you as parents support your child to play outside?
Winter weather can be daunting for adults when we think about children playing outside. But we have observed that children don’t mind, they are only put off by adults.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing” wrote Alfred Wainwright.
So here are tips to make it easy and fun:
- Please provide your child with the correct clothes. Splash suits are ideal and can be bought cheaply for approximately £10.
- Children need to have plentily of changes of clothes all named in a labelled bag. If you have a child who loves the water play and outside play, please provide a splash suit and welly boots.
- Children need to be warm.
- Staff work hard to change children on a wet day and keep them warm. Please help us also by providing clothes that support their independence skills that are easy to get on and off so they can learn to dress themselves. Please encourage children to get dressed at home too.
- All children need suitable shoes for Nursery play some children will need more that one pair for nursery.
- If you have any old splash suits or welly boots we can pass them to other families or if you have one to sell we can advertise these too.
Thank for your support.
Katharine Pringle
Lead Teacher