Excursions create valuable learning opportunities for little minds.
Not only do babies, toddlers and preschoolers get to learn in a real-world setting, but they are working on key developmental skills without even realising it!
Sensory exploration, social development, cultural awareness, cognitive development and physical health can all be explored when children are able to venture out into their local community.
Of course, you want to make these valuable learning experiences available to all the children at your Centre or in your care.
So, let’s explore how you can make any excursions inclusive and accessible in the ECE sector.
Inclusivity and Accessibility
Inclusivity and accessibility are two very important concepts in ECE. Obviously, as educators, we want to create environments and learning opportunities that welcome and accommodate children of all backgrounds, abilities and needs. That includes excursion opportunities.
In practical terms, that means considering the following things when planning excursions:
- Physical Accessibility: ensuring children with all levels of mobility have access to excursions and can participate in the learning opportunities they offer.
- Sensory Considerations: creating environments and situations that are sensitive to the sensory needs of the children in your care.
- Cultural Inclusivity: Respecting the way culture can play a part in the local community and how you might interact with the surroundings, along with incorporating diverse perspectives, cultures and traditions that align with the curriculum and the children’s backgrounds.
- Multi-Age Appropriate: There is a massive difference between taking a baby on an excursion and a preschooler. So, it’s important to create multi-age-appropriate situations.
- Individualised Support: Assessing the unique needs of each child and whether they will need additional support when leaving the Centre.
These elements will all need to be factored into your planning to ensure you are creating an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.
Planning Community Excursions
Local community excursions are incredibly valuable for little ones. As we know, it gives them an awesome opportunity to learn about the world around them and practice many of the key skills they will need to develop as they grow older. But, in order to be valuable, the excursions you plan will need to be both inclusive and accessible to all of the children.
That is going to involve some careful planning and consideration of their diverse needs. Here are some strategies you can use:
Needs Assessments
Conducting a needs assessment is a great way to understand the diverse needs of the children and the families in your Centre community. You can establish if each of the individual children has any specific needs such as physical abilities, dietary restrictions, cultural backgrounds or sensory needs.
Understanding each of the children will help you to plan excursions that will be fun and successful, with everyone able to participate and enjoy.
Inclusive Destinations
Choosing a destination where everyone can participate is key to a successful excursion. Fortunately, there are probably hundreds of places in your local community that fit the bill. Parks, playgrounds, museums, art galleries, community events and bush areas can all be potential destinations with the right planning.
You just need to think about how the different age groups will interact with the space and if there are any access or mobility considerations.
Pre-Trip Preparation
Preparation does not only include picking a day, time and destination. It is also helpful to provide advance notice to your families so that they can ensure the children have appropriate clothing, food or medication on hand.
Some children may also be anxious about their upcoming trips, so social stories or visual representations can help them understand what to expect.
Team Training
Have a team brainstorm meeting about inclusion and accessibility. Your team may have some excellent ideas for strategies and practices that can be used to support the children (and other team members) while on excursions.
Also, consider how any activities can be modified to include everyone and ensure participation, along with being able to accommodate different abilities.
Safety Measures
Ensure that safety measures are in place to protect all children during the excursion. This may involve assigning designated buddies, maintaining a low staff-to-child ratio, and having your emergency protocols locked down.
Cultural Awareness
You probably have a wide range of cultures at your Centre and excursions can be a fantastic way to celebrate them. Choose destinations and activities that reflect the cultural backgrounds of the children in your care and embrace any opportunities for cultural learning and appreciation.
The Ultimate Transport Option
A multi-seat stroller can significantly enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of your excursions, which is why the KinderPod Arohanui is the ultimate transport solution.
Here’s why:
Mobility Support:
The KinderPod can accommodate multiple children of varying abilities simultaneously. They are perfect for all children, including those with mobility challenges who may require assistance or cannot walk long distances independently. Having this accessible option allows all children to participate in excursions and explore the community alongside their peers, regardless of their mobility status.
Safety and Security:
Multi-seat strollers provide a safe and secure mode of transportation for children during excursions, particularly in crowded or unfamiliar environments. The KinderPod features safety harnesses to keep the children restrained and prevent them from wandering off or getting lost. This gives huge peace of mind to educators and families alike.
Efficiency and Organisation:
Having a multi-seat stroller helps your educators and caregivers manage larger groups of children more efficiently during excursions. Instead of having to supervise multiple children individually or coordinate multiple single-seat strollers, the group stays together in one consolidated vehicle. This makes it easier to navigate through crowded spaces and easily maintain control over the group.
Inclusive Design:
The KinderPod is designed with inclusive features, like adjustable seating positions, different seat configurations and side-by-side pods. Not only does it accommodate children of various sizes and needs comfortably, but it also has space for everything you will need while out and about with its large storage compartment.
Social Interaction:
By seating multiple children together in side-by-side seats, excursions can foster social interaction, communication, and collaboration among peers. Children have the opportunity to engage with one another, share experiences, and develop friendships while exploring the community, enhancing their social and emotional development.
Multi-Age Appropriate
The KinderPod has a range of interchangeable seating options to accommodate children of all ages. From reclining baby seats to toddler seats, they are suitable for those who can’t yet walk or kids who are off at a run! This ensures that even the youngest children in the group can participate in excursions comfortably and safely.
Love the sound of a KinderPod multi-seat stroller? Then, check out more info on it here.