Considering the Flip-Flop Factor at Daycare

Early childhood educators have grumbled about this for years: kids arrive at daycare or school in flip flops, without a coat or even dressed in shorts on a cold day, or otherwise inappropriately dressed for fun. The result is that outdoor play often gets left off the day's schedule.

Until now, child care providers and teachers only talked in general terms over parents' lack of planning and attention to detail when it comes to how a child should be dressed for daycare or school. But now, research has given the seemingly-growing trend a new and catchy name: The Flip-Flop Factor.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center recently conducted focus groups with staff members at 34 area daycare centers to learn more about how youngsters spend their time while at child care and what determines how much time is spent outdoors. A key finding to that study was that while outdoor activities are frequently planned, kids often arrive for a day of care in flip flops instead of recommended tennis shoes or aren't wearing pants or a coat when the weather is cold. While some daycare centers may try and keep on hand extra coats and warm clothes, sometimes a single child arriving in clothing not suitable for the planned outside physical activity can keep an entire class of kids indoors. (On the flip side: imagine the possibility of injuries if kids attempt a basketball tournament or hiking adventure in flip-flops!)

Another related problem to going outdoors are parents who deliberately "forget" to clothe their kid in appropriate attire because the child has indicated he doesn't like to go outdoors. Sometimes a child indicates that he would rather just stay inside than participate in free play or recess, especially if the outdoor activities include exercise. Or, parents may apply pressure to teachers to increase the time spent on academics rather than what they deem as "wasted free time."

But it's not just kids or their parents who may not regard going outdoors as something they want to do. Findings indicate that some childcare workers themselves say they don't like going outdoors due to the weather, because it takes too long bundling up youngsters for the trek outside, or even because of how they have to set up equipment, negotiate turns on a swing or playground slides, or teach kids skills like kicking a ball or jumping a rope.

Says one Texas daycare provider: "I support and understand the notion that outdoor kid play helps to teach kids vital gross motor and social skills. But when you have a classroom of children, it seems like no sooner are they lined up and out the doors when someone has to use the bathroom, another gets hurt on the playground or argues that one of their classmates is not taking her turn, and then the kids begin to whine that it is either too hot, too cold, too sunny, or too windy. Almost immediately, at least one kids starts begging to go back indoors where it is cool. It is very frustrating at times to encourage kids to enjoy simple fun from playing outside."

A family child care provider from Oklahoma says she requires that parents agree to let her take kids in her care on daily outdoor activities. "I actually made it as a part of the child care contract where parents agree to let their kids participate in 15 minutes up to 2 hours daily of outdoor fun. As part of that agreement, parents purchase and leave with me rainboots, a change of cold weather clothes, extra set of warm weather clothes, hat, sunscreen, coat, gloves and mittens, and even an umbrella. As long as it is safe to be outdoors, we spend time outside each day. I realize it is not for everyone, so parents choose whether they agree with the philosophy and have me care for their children. But I'm not going to remain indoors all day; outside can be one of the best kid classrooms around!"

One surprising obstacle to outdoor play (although a common complaint with teachers and providers in-the-know) is the natural and rubber mulch that is used on playgrounds and outdoor spaces. The organic mulch often gets stuck in kids shoes and socks, creating howls of discomfort. The rubber mulch, especially mulch recycled from old tires, can turn the soles of shoes black. This means providers must often have to wash off the bottoms of kids' shoes before allowing kids back indoors so as to not track black marks back inside on carpet. Kids also love to pick up and throw the mulch, so providers must spend much of their time patroling kids and reminding them to "not" pick up the mulch.

Dr. Kristen Copeland, lead author and the center's assistant professor of pediatrics, indicated the study, which was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, served to help researchers understand barriers to outdoor kid play. Once the reasons resisting going outdoors are better understood, solutions can be found to help encourage more kids and their providers/teachers to spend more time promoting much-needed physical activity and good ol' outdoor free time!