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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>When is your outside time?
wahmof3 01:09 PM 08-15-2012
My outside time is right after the afternoon snack and right before its time to go home. So 3:30-4:30.

I am having a difficult time getting the DCK to transition from outside to go home. They just don't want to leave. lol

I am thinking about changing to morning outside time BUT the kids get so dirty playing outside and I don't want them to feel yucky for nap. We always wash up after being outside but its not the same.

Just looking for other ideas.

I have also thought of just being outside until 30 minutes before they go home but they are pretty wound up.
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DCBlessings27 01:13 PM 08-15-2012
I do outside time right after breakfast. My kids don't really get dirty though, so they're not yucky for nap.
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Country Kids 01:14 PM 08-15-2012
We go out anywhere from 8:30-9:30 in the morning and stay till noon.

Then we come in, change into fresh clothes, have lunch and lay down for nap. I have the parents bring a change of clothes for how ever many days they are here for their cubby. 3 days-3 changes of clothes, 4 days-4 changes, etc. Then I take the dirty ones off and wash them and put them back in the cubbies.

We don't always go outside in the afternoon as some children sleep till pick up which all my parents are fine with. Also, if they get wet I don't always have time to change them before parents pick up. So we usually stay in where its cool and play inside.

Now, once cooler weather starts we will be outside more in the afternoon as they don't seem to sleep as much in the winter and we have more time to go out after nap.
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Heidi 01:15 PM 08-15-2012
mornings after breakfast and group activity, then again in the afternoon after nap most days.

How about you do a walk in the morning? That way, they don't quite so dirty, but get the excercise.
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SilverSabre25 01:25 PM 08-15-2012
Well we have been doing outside play in the AM before lunch but with kindergarten starting next week (PM kindy) we're going to do a walk after lunch to take DD to the bus, then walk after nap to get her off the bus. We'll play outside when we get back--either eating snack outside on nice days or before we leave (when it's cold--I'll send DD in to eat by herself).
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quailsgarden 01:30 PM 08-15-2012
We go out around 9am and are out until at least 11am. If the weather is not too hot we will go out again around 4pm until pick up around 5pm.
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Blackcat31 01:36 PM 08-15-2012
We go outside at about 10:00 until lunch time and then we go out again after P.M. snack until everyone is picked up.

In the summer time, we are out most of the day, with the exception of meal prepping and nap time, but even then we are outside since I don't have my older ones nap in the summer months.
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Countrygal 01:47 PM 08-15-2012
Depending upon the day, the weather and what we have planned, we go out between 8:30 and 9:30 and usually stay out until 11:30. Sometimes it's longer, sometimes it's shorter. Sometimes we have snack outside, sometimes inside. Sometimes we stay in and play and go out after snack. But we are always outside the hour before lunch (weather permitting).
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SquirrellyMama 01:59 PM 08-15-2012
When the weather is nice we might be outside all day except lunch and nap. There are some days it is so nice we picnic also. I know others have mentioned not wanting the dc kids to be dirty but mine are as dirty as can be by the time they go home. My own kids are also. I apologize but am usually told, "Don't worry, they look like they have had a great time."

Parents can tell me if they need clean kids at pick up and find cleaner outside activities for them. One time a family was getting pictures taken so I had their child take a bath and we got him dressed in his finery before pick up. They were fine with the bath. They may have even suggested it.

I would err on the side of getting the kids outside over keeping them clean. Have they said they feel yucky at nap time even if they had a sponge cleaning?

I'm not coming down on anyone, I just love my outside time and I know the kids like it to. After a heatwave summer I am reluctant to play inside right now especially come winter we are stuck inside a lot more.

No, I'm not outside right now but my dc kids went home early today and I'm cleaning before a coffee date with a friend. Yay, coffee!

K
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saved4always 02:15 PM 08-15-2012
I have to follow the schedule for our center so my kids go out around 11 a.m. before lunch. At this point, they all leave shortly after nap so the teacher who has my kids after nap hasn't taken them out after nap at this point. As we get more kids in the class with later schedules, she may take them out after nap, too. I don't pay much attention to the schedule for after I leave, so I could be wrong about the late afternoon.
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SquirrellyMama 02:20 PM 08-15-2012
Originally Posted by saved4always:
I have to follow the schedule for our center so my kids go out around 11 a.m. before lunch. At this point, they all leave shortly after nap so the teacher who has my kids after nap hasn't taken them out after nap at this point. As we get more kids in the class with later schedules, she may take them out after nap, too. I don't pay much attention to the schedule for after I leave, so I could be wrong about the late afternoon.
Sure, you have to follow whatever rules are set for you. I think that is why I have such a hard time when I have jobs that require me to follow another's rules. I like setting my own rules. I can't get too mad at myself for not following them

K
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Nickel 02:37 PM 08-15-2012
My outside time is schedule for about 1030am for fall. But in the summer it would have to be 8am-10am. After that the yard is in full sun and with highs at 104 or above there's no way I can take them out after lunch. The hottest part of the day here is about 4 or 5. So my own children don't go outside again until around 730-8pm.

Now in fall the weather will get nicer and eventually we will have to do outside time later, but I can't wait till it cools off enough that we can enjoy more time outside!
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saved4always 02:38 PM 08-15-2012
Originally Posted by SquirrellyMama:
Sure, you have to follow whatever rules are set for you. I think that is why I have such a hard time when I have jobs that require me to follow another's rules. I like setting my own rules. I can't get too mad at myself for not following them

K
I don't mind following the schedule really. Although, when it has been so hot this summer, I really would have loved being able to take them out earlier...like 9 a.m.....before the heated part of the day starts. I am getting to that personal summer age so really hot is not my favorite.
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daycarediva 02:42 PM 08-15-2012
Originally Posted by quailsgarden:
We go out around 9am and are out until at least 11am. If the weather is not too hot we will go out again around 4pm until pick up around 5pm.
^ exactly this.
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youretooloud 03:12 PM 08-15-2012
Ours is from October to May....then sparsely from June to September.

Otherwise, no specific time.
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laundrymom 04:56 PM 08-15-2012
We go out of a morning around 8 and of an evening around 4
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spud912 06:19 PM 08-15-2012
Right now, we go out at 8:45/9ish for 15-60 minutes depending on the weather. During our "nice" season (the other 7 months of the year), we go out from 10-11:15ish and then again from 3-4:30ish. If it's really nice, we extend those hours even more.
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Crazy8 06:28 PM 08-15-2012
we go out in the mornings - as early as 9/9:30 if its really hot but usually more like 10/10:30 in cooler weather. I like to be in by 11:45 so how early we go out depends on how long I plan on staying out there.

I used to do an afternoon outside time too, after nap (3ish) we'd have snack, do diapers, etc. and then go out about 3:45/4:00, but now I have kids going home anywhere from 3:30-5pm and it is very chaotic to get kids to go home when we are outside so unless I know all will be here till almost 5 we don't do an afternoon outside time anymore.
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lil angels 11:33 AM 08-16-2012
Around 9 am till lunch then after snack around 345 till pick up.
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KEG123 11:33 AM 08-16-2012
Depends on the weather! In the summer it is generally after breakfast until snack time (before it gets too hot). So like, 8:30/9-10. My dd (10m) takes a nap from 10-11, then I cook lunch from 11-11:30. Then if it is decent outside we may go outside after nap (so maybe 330-430). On hot hot days we only go outside in the afternoon if we are doing waterplay. So maybe 1-2 days a week we go out after nap also.
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BumbleBee 01:36 PM 08-16-2012
Our outside times coincide with walking the school-agers to & from school.

AM: 7:40-9:00

PM: 2:40-3:45
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mema 12:55 PM 08-20-2012
Summer we are outside except for eating and naps as long as the weather cooperates. During the fall/spring from about 10-11 and then again from 3:30-pick up. Winter is about 10-1030 and 400-pickup.
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