July / August 2008

Is Your Child Care “Physically Fit?”

Being physically fit is an important issue. If you have a child in child care, take time to find out if your child gets to play actively every day. The daily schedule should be posted for you to see. Does it have enough variety and active play to keep your child physically fit?

The following are ways that child care providers in quality child care make sure the children are busy and active each day:

Outdoor play times are scheduled daily. These are times when children can run, use riding toys, play ball, climb, and take part in other physical activities. In good weather children often play outdoors for most of their activities. Shady areas are provided to get out of the sun and water is always available for the children to drink.
Circle games can be played indoors and outdoors and should be on the schedule regularly.
Jump ropes and hula hoops can be used both indoors and out.
For child care where there is no yard or playground, the caregiver will often schedule walks around the block or to a near-by park.
Some child care centers in cities take advantage of their space by having safe, roof-top playgrounds so their children can play actively outdoors.

The Penn State University Cooperative Extension Better Kid Care Program has information on children's issues for early childhood educators, child care providers, and parents on the Better Kid Care web site at www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.

Let’s Go Out!

Good child care providers often take advantage of nice weather to schedule most of their day’s activities outdoors. Messy art activities, playing in sand, water activities, and digging in the dirt are less restrictive outdoors. Parents, is this happening at your child’s child care?

Children tend to be more active outdoors and this is good for their health and physical development. They also need some quiet times during the day to balance their needs. A shady area to look at books or simply look at the trees, watch birds and small animals, and other things in nature is good for them to have. Meals and snacks can be outdoor picnics.

Many caregivers have a sprinkler for children to run through to cool off on a hot day. Sprinklers are safer than wading pools for young children. Some plastic tubs filled with water can also be a cool, fun activity. Just remember that young children need to always be closely supervised around any water. That means an adult must always be within an arm’s length of the children. It’s called touch supervision. Never leave a child alone near water. It takes only thirty seconds or less for a child to drown.

Find out if your child has chances for lots of outdoor play during the hours spent at child care.

Nancy Wilson
Better Kid Care Early Learning Specialist
Penn State Better Kid Care Program
253 Easterly Parkway
State College PA 16801
Phone: (814) 863-5880
Fax: (814) 865-7893
July/August 2008