How much outside /playground time at your daycare?

[Anonymous]

I am curious to hear how much time various daycares spend outside (and in particular letting the kids play freely, not just carting them around in a stroller-bus). You don't necessarily need to name the daycare, but it would be helpful to know if it's a center or in-home, urban or suburban, and the age of the kids.

I ask because we just switched to a suburban center with a big playground where 18 mo DS plays for at least an hour in the morning and an hour after nap, and oh my, does he love it! Previously we were in a home daycare and while they were awesomely loving and had a nice playroom, there was no real outdoor time. If we have another kid, I am wondering if I should prioritize outdoor playtime more in picking a daycare...

[Anonymous]

We had our kids at Kindercare. They were outdoors quite a bit. Probably similar to your current experience. Our center had separate play areas, divided by age group. They went out every day, except in extreme weather.

[Anonymous]

Downtown government Bright Horizon. They go to the playground for an hour in the morning unless there is a field trip or special event, and an hour to an hour and a half in the afternoon. Less if there is inclement weather.

[Anonymous]

We use home daycare now in the suburbs. We particularly looked at daycares that have good outdoor space for children. They spend at least 1hr each day there in good weather.

[Anonymous]

home daycare in DC with a great fenced in yard and near parks. If weather is good, they are out probably 2 hrs a day, once in the am and once in the pm. If it is really hot, they will do short sessions in the yard and make sure to keep the kids cool (they have water tables, sprays, etc).