Understand the Play Environment
A playground supervisor must be familiar with the play environment as well as the playground equipment. The play environment includes play equipment, natural landscaping, ball fields, and any other areas that children may use for play while under your supervision. As part of developing a supervision program, go out on the playground and closely examine all of the equipment and relevant play areas. Considering the environment and the types of activities that will occur there will help you become familiar with areas that require greater supervision or help you anticipate potential challenges. Understand the Play Environment
Establish Sight Lines A play environment map is an essential tool for designing a supervision plan. In this section, you will learn how to use the playground map to recognize sight lines and determine the number and placement of supervisors. Sight lines are imaginary lines that describe the areas a supervisor can clearly see when positioned on the playground.
When defining sight lines, discuss any areas of the play environment that are difficult to see into, through, and/or around. Look at the playground equipment configurations and note any areas where the view is obscured. Also, identify components such as crawl tubes or tube slides that are not as visually open. Many horizontal crawl tubes longer than four feet have openings in them to allow for supervision. Buildings and landscaping can also create visual inaccessibility.
Determine how supervisors can move through the play environment to provide a greater level of supervision in all areas. Remember that the playground supervisor is constantly moving, not standing in just one spot. By organizing the play areas with a diagram and detailing visual sight lines, you will be able to determine the number of supervisors necessary to provide supervision for each area. Ideally, the ratio of playground supervisors is the same as the classroom teacher-to-student ratio.
Map out the play area to establish a collective understanding of the following things:
Access Point
Story Area
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Activities that are allowed in each area How children will move from the building into the play area What areas are off limits to all children or to a particular age group What sight line concerns may exist How the staff can most effectively supervise the play environment
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Playground 5-12 only
Theater
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Any areas that cannot be supervised due to their lack of visual access should be off limits to children.
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• Other site specific factors like nearby streets
Play Equipment Area
Group Activity #1 1. Playground supervisors
Access Point
Hopscotch Area
should go outside to become familiar with the playground equipment and draw a map of the play environment. Note the following areas on your map.
Map Out the Playground When evaluating the play environment, draw the playground on paper. Include the following areas in your drawing: • Activity areas: grassy areas, paved game areas, athletic fields, and playground equipment areas. When mapping activity areas, you might anticipate overcrowding. On a paved game area, for example, children playing hopscotch or jumping rope might interfere with a basketball game. By designing areas for each activity, overcrowding and conflicts can be avoided.
• Main points of access into and out of the building and grounds • Streets, fences, and any hazards that may be attractive to the children, such as retention ponds, streams, dumpsters, culvert pipes, or drainage ditches • Areas appropriate for use only by certain age groups. Playgrounds are typically intended for use by ages 2-5, 5-12, or 2-12.
2. All activity areas 3. Main points of interest 4. Evaluate the playground
environment, establishing the following guidelines: 5. Where your sight lines should be 6. The number of supervisors 7. Where each supervisor should move and focus his or her attention
Grassy Area
Pavement Game Area
Look for labels and signs on and around the play equipment specifying the appropriate age group.
Identify on your playground map where each supervisor must be stationed and what direction they will focus their attention. The illustration has a question mark in the lower right where the grassy area extends around the side of the building. Without adding a fourth supervisor it would not be possible to supervise children on that side of the building so the supervisors will have to determine how to address this issue.
• Equipment that might require a greater level of supervision
Ball play and chase games should be kept away from the playground equipment area.
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Preserving the Play Environment • Promoting the Value of Play • Protecting Children
Preserving the Play Environment • Promoting the Value of Play • Protecting Children
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