Greenway Learning Center Handbook

GLC Outdoor Play Policy-We love to play outdoors.

GLC Outdoor Policy
According to the Center for Disease Control1 and the Society of Health and Physical Educators
(formerly the National Association for Sport and Physical Education),2 children should have 60
minutes of unstructured and 60 minutes of structured vigorous play each day. The Maryland
Child Care Regulations require that children have two periods of outdoor play each day, except
under extreme weather conditions.3 GLC follows the Maryland State Department of Education’s
Child Care Weather Watch chart (attached). If you are ever curious if the children will be outside,
please review the attached chart.
GLC provides opportunities for the children to have 90-120 minutes of physical activity per day,
and depending on the weather this amount may be shortened or extended. We teach that
engaging in developmentally appropriate physical activity is fun and establishes a habit that we
hope our alums will continue throughout their lives.
Families can support their children’s healthy outdoor play by providing weather appropriate
articles of clothing that children need for outdoor play, such as:
● Closed-toed shoes for the playground,
● Coats, hats, and mittens on cold weather days,
● Boots for wet or snowy conditions, and
● Applying sunscreen daily in the summer.
Please do not request that your child stay indoors. Each classroom has a certain child to teacher
ratio, and we cannot staff these requests. If your child is not well enough to be outside, they are
not well enough to attend GLC.

GLC Outdoor Policy
According to the Center for Disease Control1 and the Society of Health and Physical Educators
(formerly the National Association for Sport and Physical Education),2 children should have 60
minutes of unstructured and 60 minutes of structured vigorous play each day. The Maryland
Child Care Regulations require that children have two periods of outdoor play each day, except
under extreme weather conditions.3 GLC follows the Maryland State Department of Education’s
Child Care Weather Watch chart (attached). If you are ever curious if the children will be outside,
please review the attached chart.
GLC provides opportunities for the children to have 90-120 minutes of physical activity per day,
and depending on the weather this amount may be shortened or extended. We teach that
engaging in developmentally appropriate physical activity is fun and establishes a habit that we
hope our alums will continue throughout their lives.
Families can support their children’s healthy outdoor play by providing weather appropriate
articles of clothing that children need for outdoor play, such as:
● Closed-toed shoes for the playground,
● Coats, hats, and mittens on cold weather days,
● Boots for wet or snowy conditions, and
● Applying sunscreen daily in the summer.
Please do not request that your child stay indoors. Each classroom has a certain child to teacher
ratio, and we cannot staff these requests. If your child is not well enough to be outside, they are
not well enough to attend GLC.

1https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html

2https://www.shapeamerica.org/MemberPortal/standards/guidelines/activestart.aspx
3 https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/system/files/filedepot/3/cacfpphysactivguide1.pdf