B – 032What is the Office of Head Starts stance on having the children go outside everyday, even in weather that is really cold or hot?
The Head Start Program Performance Standard (1304.21(a)(5)(i)) requires that grantees provide “sufficient time, indoor and outdoor space, equipment, materials and adult guidance… [to] support the development of gross motor skills”. There is not sufficient space in most classrooms for the types of equipment, materials and experiences that children need in the area of gross motor development and, therefore, most programs will need to take their children outdoors regularly. The decision about how frequently and for how long children play outside and the decision about whether on certain days children should stay indoors is one local programs need to make. Grantees are encouraged to establish policies on extreme heat and cold thresholds and on such health risks as lightning or poor air quality. Grantees should consider that some children; i.e. an asthmatic child, may have different needs in terms of, for example, air quality than other children in the program and individual children’s ne
