outdoor activities for 1-2 year olds

[anniebee]

Hi,
I have an observation coming up next week for my level 3 & my assessor wants me to be outside. I need to plan for an outdoor activity & then evaluate it. Our outdoor space is a bit stressful as although it has loads of potential there's no seperate area for babies & toddlers, & lots of areas that could be hazardous, so when we are outside, I'm generally just keeping them safe. Any ideas? So far I've thought of big paintbrushes to paint with water, & even that I'm thinking, are they too little?

[Ruthierhyme]

Hi, sounds like you've a few things going on xx

With you already having identified it as a stressful environment, that makes it good for risk assessment, can you look at why it's stressful and see if the risks can be minimised/mitigated.

Are your children crawling, walking, running, are there any individual needs that require 1 to 1 support. Is the flooring unsuitable for your age group - loose gravel, bumpy uneven ground? Are you able to request a colleague help with safety supervision duties so you're able to engage more freely in an activity with the children?

How about a low wall inflatable paddling pool - no water, with some balls - small and larger, pram blankets, nets and books inside and then some buckets lined up around the outside edge. Great for transporting things, dumping, emptying, throwing, aim & catch ..

What toys that are usually indoors can be taken outside?

On another note, is the potential you've seen for the oudoor space something you can make suggestions for in a staff meeting?

Hth xx

[anniebee]

Thanks for the suggestions

The children I'll have with me are all walking. There are lots of areas to literally fall off or over, as there is a large area of decking which has an edge all the way around the garden. The decking itself can be very slippy too. ( I hate decking!)

I like the idea of buckets and things for transporting, I know the little toy pushchair is popular for pushing about, so I might take out a shopping trolley & things to move around too. I'm not looking forward to it though!

[fgeeky75]

What about bubbles, you could blow them and the children may enjoy trying to catch them and burst them. You could do this in a small group and sing "I'm forever blowing bubbles.." They may also enjoy watching them float away. Good luck with your visit x