The environment and choice of equipment and materials

Yr amgylchedd a’r dewis o gyfarpar a deunyddiau

Young children playing with water

Each child needs a rich environment to motivate them, and each child deserves such an environment. They need to feel safe, secure, clean and comfortable in order to develop and grow both physically and emotionally. In order to ensure a suitable play environment, consideration needs to be given to space and equipment, hygiene and safety, as well as staffing levels, and the ability and knowledge of the staff to support each child in every aspect of their development. childcare workers need to ensure a wide variety of activities. They need to arrange opportunities and equipment for playing and learning that will help a child fully develop. They can be indoor opportunities and sometimes outdoors, but they should always be safe, secure, clean and comfortable.

The available space and layout available is important but often, settings will vary significantly from a purpose-built nursery to a village hall or a childminder's home.

A wide variety of needs will need to be met, according to the children's age and development stage. The equipment that is suitable for the needs of an average 5 year old child will be dangerous for a baby. It is important to understand the play needs and development needs of different age groups but all resources, toys and equipment must comply with safety standards. In order to ensure that toys are safe, they should display a mark that shows they have passed the safety tests and regulations and that they are suitable for the age range of the relevant children. These marks are as follows:

  • Kite mark - British Standards Institute (BSI)
  • Lion mark - British Toys and Hobbies Association
  • CE mark - European and British Safety Standard
  • Age warning sign - "unsuitable for children under 3 years old".

The most important resource for young children is an adult who understands all their play needs in order for them to develop fully. Children's needs include the following:

  • Cognitive needs: hearing and practicing language, using and experimenting with a variety of items - toys, messy play such as playing with paint and glue (creative), large items, natural resources such as sand, leaves and water.
  • Social and emotional needs: met by being with a consistent and caring adult who respects them and values the individual. Offering play opportunities such as role play, playing with friends, board games.
  • The physical needs of young children: space to move around and explore, space and opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills, fresh air, the correct temperature indoors, food and drink.

Children love playing outdoors and nature has an important part to play in their emotional and physical development. Children are able to release, make a noise and use lots of energy when they are outdoors. As long as the children are wearing suitable clothing for the weather, it is important to plan outdoor play opportunities on a daily basis.

Children love playing outdoors and nature has an important part to play in their emotional and physical development. Children are able to release, make a noise and use lots of energy when they are outdoors. As long as the children are wearing suitable clothing for the weather, it is important to plan outdoor play opportunities on a daily basis.

Children evidently need time to play outdoors and the space used must be safe, secure, clean and comfortable. Guidelines produced by Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training (Estyn) and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) should be followed. Dogs and cats should not be allowed into the area, and it should be safe from strangers. The children should not be able to escape either! Children of significantly different ages should not play in the same space at the same time - old children can be quite boisterous when they play outdoors.

The same basic rules apply with regard to supervision, safety, space and opportunities in outdoor areas as to children playing indoors, but planning will be needed for different types of play and activities on different surfaces if available. If the nursery, the school or the playgroup is small or if the building is old, there may not be a safe area of grass or surface and, if so, mats or carpets may be used instead. If there is no space available, it may not be possible to have a climbing frame or bikes but childcare workers should plan and use the area available to them. There should be a sufficient number of staff to interact with the children, as well as to supervise them. If the staff play with the children and respect their ideas, this will help them to develop socially and cognitively.

Different surfaces may be suitable but a combination of the following would be ideal:

  • safe flooring - climbing frames, slides, bikes etc.
  • tarmac - push and pull toys, prams
  • grass - ball games, resting, tents/play tunnels, balance beams
  • garden - searching for bugs, growing plants.

Playing outdoors does not simply mean taking a box of bricks from indoors and placing it in an external area. It means preparing an external area carefully to ensure that the materials in the area are fixed and available for the children to use them as and when they wish to do so. Different materials can be used to support play, both in the indoor area and the outdoor area, such as:

  • soft flooring and cushions
  • floor mirrors (special safe mirrors)
  • fixed furniture with rounded edges
  • large soft toys
  • things to feel and explore (with their hands, feet and mouth)
  • mobiles and hanging items
  • toys to push and pull, and ones that the children can climb into and out of Small tables and chairs
  • a home corner or play house
  • book corner
  • computer area
  • messy play area (paint, glue, mud, leaves etc.)
  • play with water and sand
  • picture drawing area
  • table top toys area (Duplo, small world, clay etc.)
  • a home corner and dressing up clothes, items that are associated with other cultures such as national costumes, cooking equipment
  • a drawing area including lined paper, and a variety of pens and pencils to encourage them to write
  • table top toys and building toys, bricks, dolls to dress and undress, puzzles, floor toys - garages, train tracks, jigsaws
  • nature table or an area with plants, soil, insects etc.
  • an area for technology, mathematical toys, cooking utensils
  • places to hide and explore
  • areas to dig and build
  • large soft toys, balls
  • places to move, walk, run, jump, sing and play
  • fixed slides, climbing items for them to climb and jump on and over (suitable for their age)
  • toys to push and pull
  • bikes and tricycles.

Mae angen amgylchedd cyfoethog ar bob plentyn i'w ysgogi, ac mae pob plentyn yn haeddu amgylchedd o'r fath. Mae angen iddynt deimlo'n ddiogel, yn sicr, yn lân ac yn gyfforddus er mwyn iddynt ddatblygu a thyfu'n gorfforol ac yn emosiynol. Er mwyn cael amgylchedd addas i chwarae ynddo, mae angen ystyried gofod a chyfarpar, hylendid a diogelwch, yn ogystal â lefelau staffio, a'r gallu a'r wybodaeth sydd gan y staff i gefnogi pob plentyn ym mhob agwedd ar ei ddatblygiad. Mae angen i weithwyr y Blynyddoedd Cynnar sicrhau amrywiaeth eang o weithgareddau. Mae angen iddynt drefnu cyfleoedd a chyfarpar ar gyfer chwarae a dysgu a fydd yn gymorth i blentyn ddatblygu'n llawn. Gall hyn fod dan do ac weithiau yn yr awyr agored, ond dylai bob tro fod yn ddiogel, yn saff, yn lân ac yn gyfforddus.

Mae'r gofod a'r cynllun sydd ar gael yn bwysig ond yn aml bydd y lleoliadau yn amrywio'n fawr o feithrinfa sydd wedi'i hadeiladu’n bwrpasol i neuadd bentref neu gartref gwarchodwr plant.

Bydd angen darparu ar gyfer amrywiaeth eang o anghenion yn ôl oedran y plant a'u cam datblygiad. Bydd cyfarpar sy'n addas ar gyfer anghenion plentyn cyffredin 5 oed yn beryglus i fabi. Mae'n bwysig deall anghenion chwarae ac anghenion datblygu gwahanol grwpiau oedran ond rhaid i bob adnodd, tegan a chyfarpar gydymffurfio â safonau diogelwch. Er mwyn sicrhau bod teganau yn ddiogel dylai marc fod arnynt sy’n dangos eu bod wedi pasio'r prawf a'r rheoliadau diogelwch a'u bod yn addas ar gyfer oedran y plant dan sylw. Y marciau yw:

  • Nod barcud - Sefydliad Safonau Prydain (BSI)
  • Nod Llew - Cymdeithas Teganau a Hobïau Prydain
  • Nod CE - Safon Diogelwch Ewrop a Phrydain
  • Arwydd rhybudd oedran – “anaddas i blant dan 3 oed”.

Yr adnodd pwysicaf i blant ifanc yw oedolyn sy'n deall eu holl anghenion chwarae er mwyn iddynt ddatblygu’n llawn. Mae anghenion plant yn cynnwys;

  • anghenion gwybyddol: clywed ac ymarfer iaith, defnyddio ac arbrofi gydag amrywiaeth o eitemau - teganau, chwarae gwneud llanast megis chwarae efo paent a glud (creadigol), eitemau mawr, adnoddau naturiol megis tywod, dail a dŵr.
  • anghenion cymdeithasol ac emosiynol: yn cael eu hateb drwy fod gydag oedolion cyson, llawn gofal sy'n eu parchu ac yn rhoi gwerth ar unigolion. Cynnig cyfleoedd chwarae megis chwarae rôl, chwarae gyda ffrindiau, gemau bwrdd.
  • anghenion corfforol plant ifanc: lle i symud o gwmpas ac archwilio, lle a chyfle i ddatblygu sgiliau echddygol manwl a bras, awyr iach, y tymheredd iawn dan do, bwyd a diod.

Mae plant wrth eu bodd yn chwarae yn yr awyr agored ac mae gan natur ran bwysig i'w chwarae yn eu datblygiad emosiynol a chorfforol. Mae plant yn gallu ymollwng, gwneud sŵn a defnyddio llawer o egni pan fyddant y tu allan. Cyn belled â bod gan y plant ddillad addas ar gyfer y tywydd, mae'n bwysig cynllunio ar gyfer chwarae yn yr awyr agored bob dydd.

Mae'n amlwg bod angen i amser chwarae tu allan a'r gofod a ddefnyddir fod yn ddiogel, yn saff, yn lân ac yn gyfforddus ac mae angen dilyn canllawiau Arolygiaeth Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru (Estyn) ac Arolygaeth Gofal Cymru (AGC). Ni ddylai cŵn na chathod allu dod i'r ardal, a dylai fod wedi'i diogelu rhag dieithriaid. Ni ddylai’r plant allu dianc ychwaith! Mae angen sicrhau na ddylai plant sy'n wahanol iawn o ran eu hoedran fod yn chwarae yn yr un lle ar yr un pryd - gall plant hŷn fod yn wyllt iawn pan fyddant yn chwarae tu allan.

Mae'r un rheolau sylfaenol yn wir am oruchwylio, diogelwch, gofod a chyfleoedd yn yr awyr agored â phan fydd plant yn chwarae dan do, ond bydd angen cynllunio ar gyfer gwahanol fathau o chwarae a gweithgarwch ar arwynebau gwahanol os ydynt ar gael. Os yw'r feithrinfa, yr ysgol, neu'r cylch chwarae'n fach neu'r adeilad yn hen, efallai na fydd ganddyn nhw wair neu lawr diogel ac, os felly, gellir defnyddio matiau neu garpedi yn lle hynny. Os nad oes lle ar gael, efallai na fydd modd cael ffrâm ddringo a beiciau ond gwaith yr gweithiwyr gofal plant yw cynllunio a defnyddio'r ardal sydd ar gael ganddynt. Dylai fod digon o staff ar gael i ryngweithio â'r plant yn ogystal ag i'w goruchwylio. Os bydd staff yn chwarae gyda'r plant ac yn dangos parch i'w syniadau, bydd hynny'n help iddynt ddatblygu'n gymdeithasol ac yn wybyddol.

Gall gwahanol arwynebau fod yn addas ond byddai cyfuniad o'r canlynol yn ddelfrydol:

  • lloriau diogel - fframiau dringo, llithrennau, beiciau ac ati
  • tarmac - teganau gwthio a thynnu, pramiau
  • gwair - gemau pêl, gorffwys, pebyll/twneli chwarae, trawstiau cydbwyso
  • gardd - chwilio am bryfed, tyfu planhigion.

Dyw chwarae yn yr ardal allanol ddim yn golygu eich bod yn syml yn mynd â bocs o friciau o’r tu mewn a’i osod yn yr ardal allanol. Mae’n golygu paratoi ardal allanol yn ofalus fel bod deunyddiau yno yn sefydlog ac ar gael i’r plant fedru eu defnyddio pryd maent yn dewis gwneud. Gellir defnyddio gwahanol ddeunyddiau i gefnogi chwarae p’un a’i yn yr ardal dan do neu’r ardal allanol megis:

  • Lloriau meddal a chlustogau
  • Drychau llawr (drychau diogel arbennig)
  • Dodrefn sefydlog gydag ymylon crwn
  • Teganau meddal mawr
  • Pethau i'w teimlo a'u harchwilio (gyda'r dwylo, y traed a'r geg)
  • Symudyn a phethau sy'n hongian
  • Teganau i'w gwthio a'u tynnu, a rhai y gall y plant ddringo i mewn ac allan ohonynt
  • Byrddau a chadeiriau bach
  • Cornel cartref neu dŷ bach
  • Cornel llyfrau
  • Ardal cyfrifiadur
  • Lle chwarae gwneud llanast (paent, glud, mwd, dail ac ati)
  • Chwarae efo dŵr a thywod
  • Ardal tynnu lluniau
  • Ardal teganau bwrdd (Duplo, byd bach, clai ac ati)
  • Cornel cartref a dillad gwisgo i fyny, eitemau sy'n gysylltiedig â diwylliannau eraill megis gwisgoedd cenedlaethol, offer coginio
  • Ardal tynnu llun a phapur â llinellau arno, ac amrywiaeth o binnau a phensiliau i'w hannog i ysgrifennu
  • Teganau bwrdd a theganau adeiladu, briciau, doliau i'w gwisgo a'u dadwisgo, posau
  • Teganau llawr - garejys, traciau trenau, jig-sos
  • Bwrdd natur neu ardal â phlanhigion, pridd, pryfetach ac ati
  • Ardal ar gyfer technoleg, teganau mathemateg, nwyddau coginio
  • Llefydd i guddio ac archwilio
  • Ardaloedd i gloddio ac adeiladu
  • Teganau meddal mawr, peli
  • Lle i symud, cerdded, rhedeg, neidio, canu a chwarae
  • Llithrennau sefydlog, eitemau dringo iddynt ddringo a neidio arnynt a throstynt (sy'n addas i'w hoedran)
  • Teganau i'w gwthio a'u tynnu
  • Beiciau a treisicl.

The environment and choice of equipment and materials

Drag the needs to the correct space.

Yr amgylchedd a’r dewis o gyfarpar a deunyddiau

Llusgwch yr anghenion i’r blwch cywir.