Toileting

Children will be encouraged to use the toilets before we head out. When we are at one of our outdoor sites, we set up a toilet area (with a travel potty and windbreak). This is optional but offers more privacy and can be a comfort to children who are not used to ‘wild weeing’. All Children must ask an adult before they go to the toilet to ensure their privacy. We will support children with toileting as much as they need and work towards independence.

Although we would ideally like children be out of nappies, we cannot expect children to be fully toilet trained. We must also be prepared for toilet regression, as going to the toilet in our outdoor setting will be a new and potentially challenging experience for some children. We will equip ourselves for this, as we would do with any aged child when leading Forest School sessions. We have plenty of experience dealing with toileting in our outdoor setting and going prepared with a ‘toilet bag’, which includes spare underwear.

Nappy changing

We often get asked whether children can attend in nappies. The answer is yes, children can attend in nappies and we have nappy changing resources in the setting. We ask parents to provide their own nappies and wipes and we record nappy changes using the Famly app so you know when ans by whom your child has been changed.. Please speak to your child’s key person at your child’s ‘all about me’ meeting if you think your child will start attending in nappies.

Naps

We often get asked about whether children can continue to nap once they start Kindergarten. As we are a child led setting, if a child requests to nap or is showing signs of falling asleep, we can support naps for individual children. However, we usually find that once the child starts with us they drop their afternoon nap due to being too engrossed in the day and their play. Naps can be, and have been, supported in the garden, indoors and even whilst out in the woods. The child’s key person will ensure the child is comfortable and kept safe and warm.

Please speak to your child’s key person at the all about me meeting if you would like to discuss this further.

We have a toileting and intimate care policy which supports the above.