Safety
I will admit that I constantly think about safety at preschool. We are responsible for the health and well being of preschool aged children and we take that very seriously. We are Early Childhood Educators which means we have the training and experience to deal with children in a positive, appropriate and meaningful way. We have up to date first aid training. We are a licensed preschool which means we are inspected and monitored by Fraser Health Authority. There are regulations we follow in order to keep the children safe and provide the best possible care. There are always two teachers with each class and we keep our class sizes small.
We are always outside in the community! We teach the children how to safely cross the street as a group, look for hazards at the playgrounds and stay close to the class. We practice fire and safety drills with the children. The children wear whistles to preschool and we teach them to hug a tree and blow a whistle if they ever find themselves not able to see the teachers. We have emergency plans in place in case we ever come across wild animals.
The children engage in risky play at outdoor preschool and we encourage the children to look at all of the factors that might be involved in the risky play. We do risk assessments with the children when we are playing at a new location or on a field trip.
The weather is always a factor at outdoor preschool and it changes our play spaces. We are always mindful of bodies of water and high winds. We watch the children carefully to make sure they are not too cold or too hot.
Parents trust us to keep their children safe at outdoor preschool and we take that very seriously.
Thoughts on Creek Play
Thoughts on Creek Play
A few thoughts on why we go down to the creek to play and why it is so important...
Playing by the creek is an important outdoor preschool experience. It is a super fun place and offers the children a range of opportunities to build their skills.
The creek area is full of science experiments just waiting to be discovered. Will this item sink or float? Will the water carry it away? What happens when we put sticks and rocks across the water? Will the bridge we build hold us? Children are intuitively curious in their play and the elements in the creek area make exploration and experimentation a part of the play.
It is challenging place to play. There are steep hills and slippery spots. The children get stuck in the mud, wade through water and dig for rocks. There is a lot of gross motor movement going on which is very important for their development.
The children get to make choices about how they are going to play. It is a very open ended area with unlimited possibilities. Preschoolers love to be in charge of their play.
The children are very social in this type of area. They share discoveries and problem solve. They take turns and negotiate. They also have the opportunity to move away from the group and enjoy quiet time alone.
There is risky play involved. Risky play builds confidence and emotional resilience. Children make choices and then manage their fear and stress. They feel great when they succeed and when they don't they learn persistence and to deal with consequences (ie. wet pants).
This type of play area gives the children a sense of adventure. It feels very freeing to be in the trees and stand in the running water. I hope this sense of adventure stays with them long after preschool is done.