New Outdoor Play Guidance for Early Years Services Launched by Tusla and Minister O’Gorman

Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate has today published a guidance document, designed specifically for those Early Years Services (both pre-school and School Age) operating fully or mostly outdoors. ‘When the Roof is the Sky: Guidance for the registration and inspection of early years services operating outdoors’ was officially launched by Minister Roderic O’Gorman at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s garden, ‘First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery’ at Bord Bia Bloom in the Phoenix Park.

Speaking about the guidelines, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said: “We know that playing outdoors is fundamental for children to thrive in their development, health, and well-being. The benefits are huge. Spending time outdoors supports our physical health and promotes mental, social and emotional well-being. An important part of supporting this is ensuring that children have daily, active outdoor play experiences. 

Tusla’s outdoor guidance for early learning and care settings will support providers and educators to operate within the regulations in an outdoor context. I would like to thank Tusla Early Years Inspectorate for having the foresight to develop this guide. It is an important step towards increased outdoor play and learning.

Resources like this guidance and the First 5 Garden of Wonder and discovery provide inspiration for us adults to provide children with opportunities to connect with nature and explore the world around them. It is a shared responsibility to support children to have access to the outdoors for play and learning. We will continue to work together to embed playing and learning outdoors as an every day activity.”

Fiona McDonnell, National Service Director, Children Services Regulation, Tusla, said: “We know from research and best practice guidance that, as with the indoor learning environment, there should be a balance of child and adult-led activities in outdoor areas.

The layout or design of the environment outdoors should support children to play alone and in small and large groups. Consideration should be given to the type and variety of equipment and materials in the outdoor environment. They should be age and developmentally appropriate. The environment should include a variety of natural materials which support children’s holistic development and well-being.

We know, as early years professionals and from listening to children, that they love playing outdoors. We know from research that spending time playing outdoors provides many opportunities for children to explore and think, to be curious and participate actively in their play and learning, and we welcome and support this area of early years practice.”

The guidance provides advice and support on how services can meet the requirements as set out in the Early Years Service Regulations (2016) and/or Registration of School Age Services Regulations (2018) in an outdoor environment.

During the Covid 19 pandemic, many registered providers adapted their service provision to protect the health and safety of children by spending more time in the outdoor environment. This has resulted in an increase in the numbers of providers extending their programme to include the outdoors as a care and learning environment. Many service providers have been using their outdoor spaces successfully, encouraging creativity and curiosity.

Tusla is committed to ensuring the guidance remains as up to date and relevant as possible in an environment that is rapidly changing, to ensure it is as useful as possible to all those committed to making outdoor environments safe and happy places for children to, play, learn and develop.

The new guidance is available below.

Tusla also has a garden at Bord Bia Bloom and this years’ ‘The Raising Amazing Garden by Tusla Fostering’ was designed by Linda McKeown, with input with foster carers and young people, the garden is a magical space with delicate structure and is a metaphor for the foster carer. The child is placed at the centre of everything, where they are safe, cared for and encouraged to reach their full potential.

When the Roof is the Sky