Identifying Barriers: Beginning to Overcome them!

At the recent SOAR conference we had a discussion about the things that made it challenging to create great outdoor opportunities for children, especially if you were a  licensed care provider.  Here were some of the challenges that our group identified:

Creating a "sit space" that is quiet and private for children to enjoy contemplation and private thoughts - since areas need to be visible
Water play is basically out, since you can't have standing water
Bikes might be a possibility but helmets are a challenge to manage
Sense of green space when surrounded by buildings on all sides
Not enough natural elements
Can't jump in leaf piles
Fear of insects and general safety 

Although their were suggestions:

Such as what about planting native plants or gardens around the border of the play area
Using a hose for "watering" and occasionally adding water to the sand area or for small amounts of play
Having a helmet for all students, see if they can be donated by the children's hospital
Filling the sensory table with different elements: from acorns, to maple seeds, to leaves

Even many of the ideas that are suggested in the Green Hearts documents were hard to incorporate with licensing

25 Easy Nature Play Ideas for Early Childhood Centers  

And so, somehow we need to do some type of activism to the Department of Licensing especially when it is so clear that the latest Department of Early Learning Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines   show  how  Exploring Outdoors is a great way for Interrelated Learning across the six areas of development:

1. About me and my family and culture

2. Building relationships

3.Touching, seeing, hearing and moving a round

4. Growing up healthy

5. Communicating

6. Learning about my World