Planning for outdoor play at Playgroup

Every playgroup needs to provide opportunities for outdoor play. Direct access from the indoor play area to a safely fenced outdoor space is ideal.

Safety in the outdoor area

Supervision

Good supervision of the outdoor area is essential. Adults should always be with children in the outdoor area and should be especially attentive when activities such as water play and carpentry are available.

Safe fencing

• Fences around the outdoor area should be unclimbable. A height of 1.2 metres or more is recommended.
• Some suitable materials for fencing include:
• Metal (including 'swimming pool' fencing)
• Timber palings
• Fine netting (gaps need to be small enough so a child cannot get a foot into them)
• Vertical palings of wood or metal work well

Some safety features to note:

• The gap between palings should be no more than 100mm
• Any horizontal supports should be on the outside of the fence
• The clearance between the bottom of the fence and the ground should not be more than 100mm
• Gates should be of the same height as the fence and have a ground clearance of no more than 100mm. They should have a secure latch fitted on the outside (so children cannot open it). Automatic closers and latches are useful.

Poisonous plants

It is important to ensure that there are no poisonous plants in your playgroup’s outdoor environment. If you are unsure which plants are dangerous, consult a reliable guide such as:

• Poisonous plants and fungi in New Zealand: A guide for parents, schools and childminders (1995). Available from Northland Regional Council, Private Bag 9021, Whangarei, NZ. Ph. (09) 438 4639; Email: mailroom@nrc.govt.nz [no spam]. Cost: $15. 
• Lists of poisonous plants and posters depicting poisonous plants ($12) in colour are available from Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln, Christchurch.

Equipment for the outdoor area

It is important to provide a range of interesting opportunities for outdoor play. Physical activities such as swinging, sliding, balancing, and climbing are important, as are sand and water play. It is possible to provide for these activities with a range of moveable equipment, a swing, a sandpit and a water trough (see Equipment Guidelines for Playgroups [130kb Word] and play leaflet on Physically active play.

Children gain many problem-solving skills and understandings from building their own constructions, so provide materials for this (see section on Adventure/Junk play).

When providing equipment for outdoor play it is useful to consider the skills we want to help children develop through their play and the activities they enjoy.

Some suggestions for equipment in the outdoor area

• Equipment for climbing, swinging, sliding: swings, ladders, strong wooden boxes, planks, slides, ropes
• Equipment for going over, under and through, and for getting into: boxes, tunnels, pieces of cloth for making ‘tunnels’ or ‘houses’, barrels, hoops
• Equipment for jumping and rolling: a PVC covered mattress
• Equipment for balancing: planks of various widths (smooth and with cleats on each end to stop slipping are good), tyres
• Equipment for pushing, pulling and riding: wheeled toys, trolleys, dolls’ prams, wheelbarrows
• Equipment for throwing, kicking and aiming for: balls, beanbags, hoops.

You will need to provide a storage shed or large cupboard to store all your outdoor equipment.

It is not necessary to have expensive climbing structures in the outdoor environment. However, some playgroups have their own buildings and wish to design outdoor structures to suit their particular situation. If your group is considering building fixed equipment, consult your EC coordinator for help with planning, design and safety standards.

Fixed equipment

If your group chooses to build swings or climbing structures, note that all fixed outdoor equipment should meet the New Zealand Safety Standards: NZS 4486.1:1997; 4422:1996; 5828.2:1986; and 5828.3:1986 and have soft fall surfacing installed beneath any part over 500 mm in height. Copies of these safety standards may be purchased from Standards New Zealand, Private Bag 2439, Wellington. Ph (04) 498 5991. Fax (04) 498 5994. Copies may also be available at your local library. Also see your EC coordinator for advice.

Climbing structures should be kept low (see safety standards). Having platforms at different levels can make the structure suitable for children of all ages. Provide a variety of ways for children to get on and off the structure to give a range of challenges and to keep children’s interest. Incorporate props to stimulate imaginative play, such as roofed areas and steering wheels.

Site your fixed equipment so it does not obstruct adults’ ability to supervise the whole outdoor area, and so that it can be used in conjunction with moveable equipment such as planks, tunnels, etc. Provide adequate safety surfacing (see safety standards and your EC coordinator).

Steps to developing an outdoor area with fixed equipment

1. Call a meeting of your playgroup's parents (and children!) to discuss what they would like to see in the outdoor area

2. Look at other playgrounds for ideas that might be appropriate in your setting

3. Look at your site. Are there any obvious limitations, e.g. things you are not allowed to do, size, drainage problems, slope, wind or sun

4. Think about the developmental needs of the children in your group. Do you mainly have very young or older children? Some of the skills you may want to help children develop in your outdoor area are gross motor skills, strength, balance, coordination, ball skills, fine motor skills, problem solving abilities and social skills

5. Draw up a plan (a scale plan on graph paper is helpful).

Think about:

• Allowing space to run, play ball games and have group activities
• Providing a variety of surfaces, e.g. grass, concrete for wheeled items, safety surfacing (under swings and climbing equipment over 500 mm high
• Putting swings in a corner, away from traffic flow
• Providing a good-sized sandpit that will accommodate several children at one time. It is a good idea to incorporate a cover and shade when the sandpit is built
• Providing a tap and an area for water play near the sandpit. Play often overlaps in these areas
• The sort of climbing equipment you want. Decide what suits your group’s situation. Allow enough space around it and safety surfacing beneath it
• Seating for adults
• Shade – trees, shade cloth covers or sun umbrellas will be helpful here
• Storage for all your moveable equipment
• Planting to provide shelter, shade, places to explore and quiet places for retreat
• Safe fences and gates

6. Get feedback on the plan from parents, EC Coordinator and other knowledgeable people

7. Check ease of supervision (eliminate blind spots), safety, ease of access, and costs

8. Formulate a final plan

9. Decide on a ‘stepped development plan’ – what do you need first? What can you afford now and later?

10. Start on the first steps of your plan.

Maintenance of the outdoor area

It is important to check your outdoor area regularly for hazards. It is good practice to quickly check the grounds before each playgroup session. Look for broken glass, other breakages, or damage due to vandalism, animal faeces, etc. Check to see if bark safety surfacing needs raking and that fences and gates are safe.

If your group has fixed equipment it is a good idea to plan for regular, more thorough checks, looking for worn components, rust, loose bolts and screws, splintering wood, etc.

Refer also to the health and safety checklist in the Playgroup Health and Safety section.