to think that nurseries should have an outdoor space for children

[blueberryupsidedown]

Visited a nursery today, no outdoor space. The staff take it in turn to take the children to the park. The park is just across the road, but surely a park is not as safe as a space on the nursery ground? And not as accessible? Or AIBU?

[Chusband]

I would see it as a basic requirement, yes. Others might not.

[KirjavaTheCat]

Wouldn't see it as any different to people who don't have gardens, tbh. They're going to the park, I don't see the problem.

[FariesDoExist]

YANBU

I think every nursery should have an outdoor area, even if it's a small paved area with a gazebo cover or whatever. With a sand-pit, some ride-on trucks and maybe a slide, and outdoor planting area or pots. I would not send my DC to a nursery with no outdoor area. The park would be nice but I'd want that to be in addition to an outdoor area. My DC went to a nursery with a park very nearby but the park was used mainly in the summer months, with the children visiting the park in small groups, whereas the outdoor area was used all year round, whenever they wanted to. The children could choose to stay in and play or wander to the back yard where a member of staff was permanently positioned in the outdoor area (obv not the same member of staff all the time!).

[SoupDragon]

It's nice if they do have outside space but you don't have to send your child to one which has none. You may get a fabulous nursery that uses the park or a crap one with a garden.

A local one has built a roof over their small carpark and uses the roof as outside space - it was built for that purpose!

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

It's not always possible. DS's nursery has a garden, which is lovely, but at least they are taking the kids to the park.

[BrianTheMole]

Well I wouldn't choose a nursery with no outdoor space. I suppose they get round the problem by going to the park, but personally I'd choose a nursery that does have outdoor space.

[Pozzled]

Yanbu.

It's good that they go to the park, but they can't set it up with all the appropriate play equipment/toys/writing materials etc. The nursery that we use has a lovely outdoor space and it was a real selling point for us.

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

I trust my nursery but no way would I trust a stranger to walk dd anywhere. Too young and she runs. School is one thing but nursery quite another.

[onlysettleforbutterflies]

YANBU - I wouldn't send my DS to a nursery without outdoor space, they do lots of things like growing plants/vegetables, chalk drawings on the paths, ride trikes/scooters, play ball games etc each child spends a good portion of each day playing outside in a safe, controlled environment. They do park trips too every now and then, but much smaller numbers and not as much freedom to run and play.

[ReallyTired]

"Wouldn't see it as any different to people who don't have gardens, tbh. They're going to the park, I don't see the problem."

Sometimes people with children who do not have a garden send their children to nursery to beneift from outside play.

I think that outside play is essential. Infact OFSTED like children to have free access to both inside and out most of the play session.

Frankly I don't think that childcare settings should be allowed to claim OFSTED funding without an outside area.

[BrianTheMole]

Although I guess it depends on how good the nursery was. If there were only two, and the one with outdoor space was crap, and the one without was amazing, then I suppose I would go for the one without.

[ILetHimKeep20Quid]

Our local council won't provide partnership funding if there isn't outside space.

[FariesDoExist]

It is different to people with no garden. In a nursery you've got 30 children (or however many) indoors together and they need space from each other. And there's more of them, so it takes longer to organise them to get outdoors to a park. I am lucky enough to have a home with a garden though.

I paid quite a bit of money in childcare to the nursery and I expected an outdoor space (I suppose some of the money went towards the upkeep of the outdoor area).

[ReallyTired]

I have always picked nurseries without an outside area, as physical development is extremely important in the early years. Prehaps a child minder can manage to take children to the park if she has small ratios. The idea of a ratio of 1 to 8 three year olds going to the park doesn't bare thinking about. Our local park often has broken bottles or fag ends. I could watch one or two children closely, but not eight!

Having outdoor space on the roof (with a high fence/ walls) is fine.

[noisytoys]

I live in a flat with no garden and the DCs are like caged animals if cooped up too long that's why I chose a nursery with its own outdoor play area, veg patch, woodland, water area etc. The difference in DD after a day at nursery (where she rarely comes in from the outside) is massive.

[Whogivesashit]

Absolutely! I worked in a nursery without an outside area Urgh! Feckin awful.

[Oblomov]

For me, it is a minimum.
I like nurseries/ pre-schools that have a huge open space.
Both ds's regularly spent nearly all day outside, doing different activities.

[MrsGarlic]

We don't have a garden, but it's just us and our son, so it's much easier to take him to the park than it would be for a nursery to do an outing. I also take him outside in the course of daily life, to get the shopping etc. That presumably doesn't happen in a nursery.

I think YANBU to want a nursery with outdoor space. We live in a fairly high-density area of London and have chosen a small nursery with outside space. But on the other hand I wouldn't moan about it, just find a different nursery...?

[TiggyD]

"...and don't get me started on nurseries who don't have a garden at all and rely on daily visits to one. I know there are many cities where space is very limited, and I know there is a cost to having a good garden with decent access to it, but just because you're the best you can be doesn't mean you're any good." - The tiggylog blog

Never ever use a nursery with no garden. I would also avoid nurseries where the rooms don't open directly into the garden, as it means they'll have to use the Victorian "Everybody go out now! It's garden hour!" method. Free-flow is one of the keys to good childcare.

Good nursery=freeflow.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I agree with MrsGarlic. Free access to outdoor space is very important to me, but it's one consideration amongst many. If it's top priority for you, choose another Nursery. It isn't as if they are being denied fresh air

[BrokenSunglasses]

I'd want an outside area attached to the nursery. It wouldn't even have to be a good outside area, the pre school my dc went to only had a small patio. But it was enough that they could play with water properly and have a few plant pots for the children to grow stuff. They spent a lot of time going to local woods and had an allotment, but if they didn't do that then the patio wouldn't really have been enough.

I don't think a park which is basically a lot of grass with some council playground equipment is enough either.

[PoppyWearer]

I rejected a nursery on the basis that it had no outdoor space and had to walk the children to a nearby park, across several roads.

Having seen the children from that nursery on their walk to the park a few times, it doesn't look very safe and I'm glad I made that decision! The nursery seemed lovely otherwise.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

We chose a nursery with lots of outdoor space (say 200sqft per "class" plus six acres of wider landscaped/planted areas for walks, exploring, etc). DS played outside every single day, sometimes in full waterproofs , and in fine weather they only really came inside to eat.

I live near a nursery like the one in the OP which is very highly regarded, but I would reject it on the basis of outdoor space alone. They do go to the park, but have to cross an A road to do so (30mph limit there, but lots of lorries) and it can never be spontaneous/childled in the way that "open the door to our outdoor area" can be.

We moved to a house from a flat so we could do the same. Having to make an expedition to outside is no substitute for just nipping in and out.

[VinegarDrinker]

Our nursery has a garden but also do daily trips to the park. It's perfectly possible to do it safely.