How important is outdoor time at nursery?

[hefner]

I'm choosing a nursery for DD to attend from 12 months and I've found one that I really like but I'm not sure whether they make enough use of their outdoor play area. They said that the children go out at least once a day for 15-30 minutes, whuch didn't sound like very long to me. They go out more in good weather but sounded a bit reluctant to take the children out in bad weather. I think I was expecting that they would play out in any weather, and just ask parents to send their children with appropriate coats/wellies.

I liked everything else about the nursery and I'm trying to get into perspective how much the outdoor aspect should influence my decision. So does anyone have any views on how important outdoor time is? And what would be a reasonable amount of time to spend outside?

Personally I think outdoor time/ space is very important.
If they have got the room they should be utilising it. Maybe worth talking to them.

I specifically chose my daughters nursery as they have an outdoor/indoor policy (basically outside the majority of the time). I discounted one nursery where the area was so small they could only go out in 'shifts'. Depends what your priorities are.

Avoid them... best practice is having access to the outdoors for most of the day.

Very important - the children should be able to access the outdoors all the time.

Very important, fresh air freedom to run about, lots of physical ctivities to use and do. Both my children's nurseries a (two different ones at different times) have provided waterproofs to allow wet play outside, asked for us to provide hats and gloves. Dd's nursery also provided Welles. Ds's nursery ask us to provide them but nevertheless they're outside in all weathers.

I guess it depends on how much you feel it is important though, compared to the other positives, and compared to other nursery provision available.

very important. at my dc nursery the dc can go in and out as they wish + loads of outings to the park.

It depends on how much of her day she will spend there imo.
DS goes to nursery every day, for at least half a day so to me it is crucial he gets lots of time outside. In winter its dark and he cant come home and play outside. I really encourage him going out.....although other parents ban there kids for plaing outside for days when they have a runny nose

DD didn't go to daycare nursery, as i was a SAHM but would go to creche when I had activities/classes/gym etc. There was no outside area which was fine with me as I would be taking her out to play the rest of the time and the care was second to none.

The outdoors should reflect the indoors and children should have access to this space for a majority of the session. 15 mins is not enough! Bad weather shouldn't curtail play and can initiate loads of learning experiences.

Very.

If a nursery has a crappy policy and don't let their children outside enough, good staff will not want to work there, which means the inside will be as bad as the outside.

Thanks for your replies, you've confirmed my feeling that this is a big drawback, epecially as DD will be there all day 4 days a week. I think I need to talk to them again to check the details - maybe 15-30 mins out is only in really freezing weather (or maybe I'm clutching at straws to defend that nursery as I liked it there!). Also I wonder whether the limited outdoor time is more for the babies, as the 2-3yr old and preschool rooms have doors out onto the garden so hopefully those rooms will have more of a free flow approach.

Its very important imo!

We don't have a garden so for us, the more time ds gets outside the better, His nursery has a big cupboard full of wellies which the children wear out on wet days.

The nursery my DD is in doesn't have a indoor-outdoor free flow design. However they spend a long of time outdoor. The garden is quite small since its a very small nursery. But they have a climbing frame/slide

The nursery my DD is in doesn't have a indoor-outdoor free flow design. However they spend a long of time outdoor. The garden is quite small since its a very small nursery. But they have a climbing frame/slide playset, lots of cars, veg patch etc.

What I'm trying to say is it's this they utilise the space that's important. If they give you an answer that is 15-30min when you haven't even signed up, it's definitively not a good sign.

Btw my DD is only 1yo and she started at 7mo. She is playing outside as soon as she is confident in crawling. She loves crawling through the tunnel for example. Also they have a smaller area separating the young babies and toddlers from the preschoolers.

How do nurseries that operate free flow between areas maintain their ratios if some staff are off changing nappies/preparing snacks etc?

1 adult inside, 1 adult outside, 1 adult doing nappies.