TEY-10.2

• You can wipe or submerge some toys and surfaces, but this is not a major factor in infection control. • Don’t hose, spray or jet wash to clean, you only get the virus airborne where it is a greater risk. For more information go to https://bit. ly/2PbCekJ How to increase capacity and use the space in all seasons? To enable learning in every wind, sun, rain and snow conditions, shelter and shade are key. Many nursery and school yards are an open wind-tunnel where the sun beats and the rain drums down. Simple tarpaulins above, bamboo screening on fences and planting all play their part for a quick and cheap fix to creating a more balanced micro-climate. Long term, canopies, solid wind-breaks and cosy areas can all be added when you invest thought and finances. Do you currently have a corner behind that shed, or indeed a shed which is full of little- used resources? Now is the time to look again and consider if your need for physical space outweighs the storage need, or if you can use spaces you have shied away from in the past. A top tip here is that mirrors or shiny surfaces can provide a view into hidden areas for modest cost. Even the most challenging of tarmac can have added nature. Using large planters we can add good sized shrubs, flowers and event small trees. Many nurseries have repurposed containers such as potato boxes, cut down stainless air-vents or culvert pipes, or used drainpipes, wellies and baskets for vegetables. Planting for seasonal change, and encouraging our children to access the planting up close and personal, is probably the biggest improvement you can make to a nursery space. One area to consider is how much space a particular activity takes up – physically and timewise. As an example, does your bike riding or football use occupy a large space which a few times a week could be used for another provocation or play PARTNER CONTENT For many of us working in outdoor play and learning, now feels like quite the moment to really encourage a shift in behaviour. We should also be aware of our narrative about being outdoors, possibly tainted with concerns over meeting others, ‘bad’ weather and ‘danger’. We have a duty and challenge to rewrite the narrative into one of outdoors being a safer place, a friendly place, and an option that is good for us and our children. What about hygiene and cleaning? Many of you are working through what controls are needed to protect our children and staff, and the use of outdoor spaces needs consideration. There are some excellent guidance documents from the World Health Organisation and UK Government on the management of outdoor spaces (including hygiene and cleaning) which are clear on the subject. The overly simple summary would be: • Outdoors is safer than indoors, so focus more on indoors and ‘squeeze points’ such as entrances and exits. • Handwashing is the main area of infection control, make sure handwashing is available outdoors. opportunity? Try gathering outdoors – parents can drop off or collect children from outdoor space. This can reduce the time to head indoors and gather, only to head back outdoors shortly afterwards. A further benefit currently is that parents can see the children at play or chat to staff across a fence or outdoor space, more safely than trying to meet in a building. These changes will be a challenge for many staff and parents, and therefore we need to support them in this. Some areas are very practical – how do we support staff and families to have access to warm and waterproof clothing for example. However, much of the support is around staff confidence and skills, helping our colleagues feel confident. For parents it is often helping them understand the true benefits, many of which are only seen long term as we see more confident, emotionally and physically robust children, risk literate and with a love of nature and recreation outdoors. For many of us working in outdoor play and learning, now feels like quite the moment to really encourage a shift in behaviour. Taking play and learning outdoors is not the responsibility of one – it is a shared endeavour, resourced as well as any other area of our setting, and provided to the benefit of our children. The pandemic has focused many minds on what really matters – and in early years, outdoors and nature really matters. LtL is a UK charity dedicated to enhancing outdoor learning and play for children. Visit ltl.org.uk/free-resources to download free early years resources. Teachearlyyears.com 75