Playing outside in all weathers

**hectors house** · 20-11-2012, 10:06 AM

Today the weather here is really nasty - heavy drizzle and quite windy, I have 3 children aged 2 1/2, 18 months & 10 months (not walking yet), do Ofsted really expect me to take them out in the garden to play? - I do have waterproofs and wellies for all of them but the baby didn't like being outside last week when it wasn't even raining and I ended up putting him in utility room to play where I could watch him from just outside the door and the others in the garden.

It would be different if we had to go out somewhere but we don't and I tend to not go far with these 3 as after having a shoulder operation I try not to use my double buggy unless it is flat ground, I have tried going out to a toddler group but the 18 month old hates the children centre when it is crowded which it will be today as weather is so grotty.

How can I satisfy Ofsted but not have at least one child upset?

**babs** · 20-11-2012, 11:05 AM

Risk assess if its very windy and heavy rain put down limited outdoors as you are taking in the needs of the children. or go for short walk and back 5 minutes least then they have been out. i don't go out of its really bad unless I've got school run. if the children are happy playing indoors then let them if they ask to go out. just say ok when rain gyes off bit. we go out if its raining buy not if its chucking it down or gonna blow.children over ..

**nipper** · 20-11-2012, 12:13 PM

My littlest mindee aged 10 months is crawling and pulling up. When we go outside I put her in an all in one waterproof with built in gloves and a pair of waterproof bootees on. I put the travel blanket on the grass but she's too interested in what the others (18 months and 23 months) are doing and ends up trying to keep up with them. Even if it's just 10-15 mins, that's better than not at all.

**mushpea** · 20-11-2012, 12:13 PM

on days like that we would go out and feed the animals and maybe go for a walk so they are at least outside, somtimes we make kites from string and plastic bags so the older ones can run along with them then they dont notice the rain or prehaps have a treasure hunt card with things like a certain colour car, cobweb treee etc to find this keeps the older ones amused and the younger ones are wrapped up warm in the pram but getting fresh air

**sweets** · 20-11-2012, 12:16 PM

On days like that i stay in and stuff ofsted! Lol. Going out in that weather doesnt benefit anyone! Esp with tinies

**caz3007** · 20-11-2012, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by sweets

On days like that i stay in and stuff ofsted! Lol. Going out in that weather doesnt benefit anyone! Esp with tinies

I agree, we have to do the school runs and thats it, why get wet and miserable more than we have to

**merry** · 20-11-2012, 01:43 PM

My tiniest mindee at 4 months old has just been in hospital with bronchiolitis and has to stay at home all this week so as not to risk catching anything else while he's weak. With one with asthma and the usual round of colds/coughs/chest infections among the others (giving me an unexpected day off from all under 5's

) there's no way we'll be playing outside in the cold and rain when they come back. I do a school run every day, that's enough 'outdoors' for now.

**lisa1968** · 20-11-2012, 01:57 PM

i think you have to ask yourself "Are they really going to enjoy it?".If it's a no then don't bother!
I have a 2.3 yr old who HATES the cold and wouldn't be my friend if I put him outside in this weather!!

**mushpea** · 20-11-2012, 01:58 PM

coughs and colds wouldnt stop me from taking them outside, I always find the fresh air helps and certainly makes me feel better when I have a cold, me and the 4yrold have just come back from walking the dog so we could get his sister whos 16months to sleep, it worked and she is now sound asleep in the fresh air and she will probably sleep longer out there than indoors too, me and him had a lovley time spotting all the different coloured berries that the birds can eat in the winter and he has asked if we can go for a walk tomoro to collect leaves so the dinosaurs can play in them.

**eddie** · 20-11-2012, 02:03 PM

I agree that sometimes the children just don't want to go out and as we have to be child led I say if they don't wanna go, they don't have to. Luckily my lounge opens onto my garden so I can supervise some in and some out.

**eddie** · 20-11-2012, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by mushpea

coughs and colds wouldnt stop me from taking them outside, I always find the fresh air helps and certainly makes me feel better when I have a cold, me and the 4yrold have just come back from walking the dog so we could get his sister whos 16months to sleep, it worked and she is now sound asleep in the fresh air and she will probably sleep longer out there than indoors too, me and him had a lovley time spotting all the different coloured berries that the birds can eat in the winter and he has asked if we can go for a walk tomoro to collect leaves so the dinosaurs can play in them.

I also agree that colds don't stop me going out, unless the LO feels too rough (in which case they go home!) I always feel better for a brisk dog walk when feeling bunged up.

**watgem** · 20-11-2012, 02:11 PM

I think its important to consider the children's needs and interests, and also use common sense, somedays they may love being outdoors in the rain/wind other times like us they may be prefer to be indoors. today it is so windy here with driving rain even I've been blown along, so apart from the schol run we have stayed in because there are lots of trees here and we live in a flood zone.

**loocyloo** · 20-11-2012, 02:23 PM

i've just read a preschool inspection report in which they were given an action of having a covered area for outdoor play, so that the children could play out every day.

we do go out most days, even if it is just the school run ( walk! ), but i don't have a covered area and think DH would go spare if i suggested it !!! LOL !!!

my babes get wrapped up in all in one waterproofs for the garden and popped on a mat, or are snuggled in the buggy on a walk. my older LOs love being outside, esp in the rain, but they play in the play house and i'm not allowed in !!!! so i end up sitting under an umbrella!

**jo.jo76** · 20-11-2012, 02:26 PM

I think the guidance in EYFS is that there is access to outdoor and activities are planned for outdoors, so as long as you've given them the choice and they choose not to go out then you're fine surely!

**hectors house** · 20-11-2012, 02:40 PM

Think I'm going to have a problem with this baby being outside, as I said in first post he didn't like being outside last week when it was a dry day - now just realised after attempting to do finger painting with him that he doesn't seem to like getting his hands wet and dirty. He is going to be upset next week when we start doing Xmas crafts - first idea is hand and footprint reindeer!

**mushpea** · 20-11-2012, 04:32 PM

I used to have a 3yrold who hated the cold and would just stand there and cry the whole time we were outside, unfortunatly at the time I had 3 others who loved being outside so I had to sort of time share and have half hour out then half hour in, she eventualy got the idea of running around to warm up then started to enjoy joining in