Nursery World - Outdoor areas 'sacrificed' for childcare places

Outdoor play space is being cut to make room for more childcare spaces, early years experts warn.

According to outdoor learning and play charity Learning Through Landscapes, ‘precious outdoor’ space is being sacrificed to extend premises for providers to offer more two-year-old places, and plans to extend free childcare to 30 hours for working parents will inevitably add to pressure on places.

In an interview in this week’s Nursery World, Juno Hollyhock, chief executive of LTL, says, ‘We are concerned that the daily outdoor experiences enshrined in the EYFS may no longer be seen as a priority by early years settings, schools, policy makers and politicians.’

‘We hear whispers of wellington boot storage space being removed to make space for a new literacy corner, doors to the outside being closed rather than left open for children to flow in and out, and staff coming to work with no wet weather gear meaning that the children cannot be outside if it rains. We know from settings where precious outdoor play space has had to be sacrificed to build rooms for new childcare places.’

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