Recent updates as part of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 came into effect late last year. While much of the revised act focuses on child to caregiver ratios for licensed and unlicensed care providers, there were also some overall updates and modernization to the regulations surrounding outdoor play. These changes were implemented to ensure that adequate space for play and learning in an outdoor environment is made available to all children, so they can connect with the natural world and begin to develop an interest in physical activity.
In order to ensure that your child care centre complies with all requirements, offers a safe environment for children to play and provides children with sufficient time for outdoor activity, here are the regulations:
Your Outdoor Play Space
- If your child care centre operates for 6 or more hours each day, you must have an outdoor play space that contains at least 5.6 square meters (or 60 square feet) for each child based on your licensed capacity.
- A ground level playground, adjacent to your centre must be provided unless other arrangements are approved by a director (for example, a rooftop play space). This playground must be designed in such a way that your staff can maintain constant supervision of the area and children.
- There must be a designated space for the storage of any outside play equipment.
- Each fenced outdoor play area is limited to 64 children. If your centre’s licensed capacity allows for more than 64 children, you may have multiple fenced play areas, provided they have sufficient space and supervision.
- If your play area is used by infants, toddlers or preschoolers, it must be surrounded by a fence that it is at least 1.2 metres (4 ft) high. The fence must be in good condition (no splintering, holes or sharp areas) and be safe for children. There can be no gaps between fences and building structures to ensure the safety of all children.
- Play area gates should be securely shut at all times.
- If a child care facility is located within a school and cares for children aged 4 and up, the centre is considered part of the school and must adhere to any outdoor play area requirements that apply to the school as a whole.
Required Outdoor Play
- Any staff to child ratios applicable to your facility must be maintained during all outdoor play time.
- All children who receive care for six hours or more in a single day must spend at least two hours outdoors, weather permitting, each day unless a parent or doctor advises otherwise in writing.
Will these new daycare outdoor play regulations impact your daycare facility? For more about the regulations outlined above, explore the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.
WHAT.. ONE OR TWO HOURS OUT SIDE TO PLAY .. HO MY .. PARENTS / FAMILLY DONT EVEN DO THAT . OK SUMMER ANDERSTAND .. BUT WINTER HO MY GOD EVEN ONE HOUR IT’S TO MUCH SURTENLY THEY AGE UNDER 4/5 YEARS OLD… CHILDREN HEALTH SHOULD BE TOKEN MORE SERIOUS IN WINTER..
It clearly states WEATHER PERMITTING. Please read thoroughly before stating false information. Also, as a fellow RECE in my years of experience, we have never forcibly made children stay outside in the winter for excessive periods of time. We assess each day and situation as they come and follow the guidelines given by the Ontario Ministry of Education. So again, please before stating false information, educate yourself and read thoroughly.
Being outdoors is healthy for children. Even in -20, we take them out for half an hour twice. The children are bundled up and running around keeping warm and having fun. Its not some insane notion to take children outside in the winter, we don’t cut off outdoor play -29. Its a crucial step in children’s healthy development.
Nonsense! City of Toronto will issue an Extreme Cold Weather Alert when Environment Canada forecasts a temperature of -15° C or colder, or a wind chill of -20° C or colder. I don’t how you define ‘weather permitting’ when its -20C outside. Don’t just tell people to get educated but have some common sense yourself!
They are all non sense ppl here who made these stupid laws
I just want to be sure I am understanding this correctly. To open a daycare facility, you MUST have an outdoor play space? Or can the children be taken for walks around the neighbourhood as suitable outdoor time? Thank you in advance.
If playground space is not available, can children be taken ( walk ) to a local playground? Is this permitted?
No wonder most kids in day care are always sick in the winter. 1 hour outside in the cold is way too much for their little bodies to handle. Please change this policy and no more then half hour outside on the winter.. Please protect the little ones from this horrible policies.
I just hate Ministry law. Like how is the fair with small kids being out in the hell cold weather. It make sense to take them out for 10-15 min but for 2 hrs is too much!!!! They get sick and its hard for the mothers to function. Day care is to learn not to take out in winters. I hate this! Govt should do something about this. This is not FAIR
Govt should change the law. This is not ok for the kids and for the mothers as well. Us adults can stand outside for 1 min and they go out for 1-2 hours!! How is this ok?? Law needs to be change!!