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This EASEYS for ASN is about best practice in inclusive approaches for outdoor learning and play.

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Risk Benefit Analysis of Outdoor Toileting

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Risk Benefit Analysis of Outdoor Toileting

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An example of a risk benefit analysis of outdoor toileting and hand hygiene from Senior Practitioner, Jane Matheson at Lochinver Pre-School

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Practical tips and ideas to support Outdoor Toileting from Senior Practitioner, Jane Matheson at Lochinver Pre-School.

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Child's Viewpoint

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Child's Viewpoint

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A helpful video which illustrates the importance of outdoor play and learning from the child's view.

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Outdoor ELC for children; what do children think of their outdoor nursery?

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Family Viewpoint

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Family Viewpoint

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Great video to share with families to support a shared understanding of the benefits of outdoor play and learning.

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Outdoor ELC for parents; why do parents choose an outdoor nursery experience for their child?

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Practitioner Viewpoint

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Benefits of Outdoor Learning - Practitioner Viewpoint

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Great video to share with staff to inspire them to develop their outdoor play and learning practice.

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Outdoor ELC for practitioners; what’s it like to work in a fully outdoor nursery?

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Outdoor games and activity ideas for families and ELC settings.

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Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk. We'll be keeping the website updated and we're also on Twitter @InspiringSland

Make time for outdoor play

A downloadable series of hints and tips for playing outdoors.

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Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk.

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Practitioners Tuesday Tips to support more outdoor play and learning.
We have been releasing weekly tips on different aspects of ELC practice which are aimed at practitioners who would like to extend their Outdoor Practice.

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Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk. We'll be keeping the website updated and we're also on Twitter @InspiringSland

Make time for outdoor play

A downloadable series of hints and tips for playing outdoors.

Sign up for our newsletter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk.

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A handy Flow chart to advise the different types of Outdoor ELC provision

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An A3 size resource with examples, to support the design or development of high quality outdoor childcare provision – Links to Out to Play

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Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk. We'll be keeping the website updated and we're also on Twitter @InspiringSland

Back to Publications

Supporting Outdoor Childcare Provision A3 Guide

This printable A3 guide is designed to show the range of possibilities when designing or developing high quality outdoor childcare provision.

The guide includes examples of practice combined with site-specific and appropriate design and covers: site & access, shelter, toilets & handwashing, eating, clothing and play material .

You may also find the Outdoor ELC flow chart helpful when thinking about how you want to provide outdoor Early Learning & Childcare?

12.11.2020

Inspiring Scotland Insights November 2020

Inspiring Scotland's monthly intelligence report, providing an overview of key issues being reported by charities supported across its funds. Initially developed as an internal resource, these reports help to highlight issues as they emerge, predict what is needed in the months ahead, and explore how we can best respond collectively. We also believe this

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10.11.2020

A Practitioner's Guide: Childminder Takeover 1

Are you a childminder looking to do more outdoor play but aren't sure where to start? Childminder extraordinaire Emma Smith is this week's guest blogger, revealing her secrets to embracing and enjoying every opportunity to get outside. It's a childminder takeover!

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04.11.2020

Link Up: Transforming Relationships

Annual Publication 2019-2020 Link Up is Inspiring Scotland's community development and wellbeing programme. It started in 2011 and sits at the heart of our ambition for a Scotland without poverty and disadvantage. It is among the largest and longest-running programmes of its kind in Scotland. Link Up brings people together to create activities and events

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Supporting Outdoor Childcare Provision A3 Guide - Inspiring Scotland

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Many thanks for visiting our website. During the current COVID-19 situation, Inspiring Scotland is still open, but we're working remotely until further notice. The easiest way to reach team members is by mobile or email. You can also reach us at enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk.

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OLEY Bitesize 5 Presentation - Risk Benefit Approaches

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OLEY Bitesize 5 Presentation - Risk Benefit Approaches

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Bitesize 5 - Approaches to Risk/Benefit Assessments (2020-10-08 at 08:00 GMT-7)

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OLEY Bitesize 5 - Risk Benefit Approaches Presentation Slides and Notes

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OLEY Bitesize 5 - Risk Benefit Approaches Presentation Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning Bitesize 5 - Approaches to Risk/Benefit Assessment

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"One thing kids never lack is imagination to invent their own games with the simplest of props. Obviously if a child is playing with a jagged edge on a tin container there is a risk of injury, but we would hope parents manage that risk. HSE has always encouraged children to learn through play, whether climbing trees, painting with their hands or throwing stones into a lake, we want children to enjoy life and all the experiences it brings."
Health & Safety Executive
Positive approach to risk in play - HSE Statement

Play Scotland is a member of the UK Play Safety Forum (PSF) which promotes the wellbeing of children and young people through ensuring a balance between safety, risk and challenge in respect of play and leisure provision.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) worked with the PSF to produce Children's Play & Leisure Promoting a Balanced Approach. This a joint high-level statement that gives clear messages about risk benefit assessments. HSE fully endorses these principles:

Play is important for children's well-being and development

When planning and providing play opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and benefits

Those providing play opportunities should focus on controlling the real risks, while securing or increasing the benefits.

Additionally, the Playwork Principles underpin playwork practice for the sector and establish the professional and ethical framework for playwork and as such must be regarded as a whole. They are based on the recognition that children and young people's capacity for positive development will be enhanced if given access to the broadest range of environments and play opportunities.

Positive approach to risk in play - Care Inspectorate Statement

The Care Inspectorate has shown its support for nurseries, childminders and other early years care services that take a positive approach to risk, by setting out its position on regulating for risk in play. Their position statement was launched with the support of Play Scotland at their event Playing with risk: embracing the benefits with positive regulation, held in January 2016.

The Care Inspectorate's position statement

"The Care Inspectorate supports care service providers taking a positive approach to risk in order to achieve the best outcomes for children. This means moving away from a traditional deficit model that takes a risk-averse approach, which can unnecessarily restrict children's experiences attending registered services, to a more holistic risk-benefit model. For example, we encourage services to use risk assessment to support children to enjoy potentially hazardous activities such as woodwork using real tools, exploring nature and playing in the mud and rain. We do not expect written risk assessments to be carried out for daily play activities."

Play Scotland supports risk benefit assessments

Cherie Morgan, Play Development Officer, Play Scotland says:
"We want to see a common sense approach to risk in play, where practitioners weigh up the benefits, as well as the risks involved with activities. The opportunity to face challenges in a supportive environment helps children and young people learn to assess and manage risk for themselves, and this is vitally important for their development. We're delighted to have worked with the Care Inspectorate to develop this important message and to highlight this approach to those who are responsible for the day to day care of children."

Ministerial support

Aileen Campbell MSP and Minister for Children and Young People supports this new approach with the following statement.
"In June 2013 the Scottish Government published the Play Strategy for Scotland, which seeks to improve the play experiences of all children and young people, including those with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Strategy aims to ensure all children and young people can access play opportunities in a range of settings which offer variety, adventure and challenge. They must be able to play freely and safely while learning to manage risks and make choices about where, how and when they play according to their age, stage, ability and preference.

"A huge part of this is giving regulated services the confidence to provide good quality, challenging play opportunities for children in their care. Real life experiences for children cannot be free of risk; from the very beginning children learn from trial and error, falling and getting up, testing their own boundaries and this enables them to develop their own coping strategies and resilience.

"It is important too that children with additional support needs also have the chance to experience challenging play - and that quality play opportunities are offered to all children, according to their needs and preferences.

"Myth busting in terms of what 'safe care' is for our children is also important. Scotland's children deserve to be cared for in a loving, nurturing environment that includes hugs and the comfort of touch, which is even more important now that children are in care environments from a younger age and for longer periods of time.

"I am delighted that the Care Inspectorate is supporting care service providers to adopt a more holistic risk-benefit model to help them achieve the best outcomes for children. This positive approach to risk emphasises confidence in providers using their professional judgement to support, nurture and challenge the children and young people in their care."

Risk Benefit Assessment Form

Risk-Benefit Assessment is an easy-to-use method to support play providers to balance the benefits of an activity with any inherent risk, taking into account the risks while recognising the benefits to children and young people of challenging play experiences.

It will be invaluable for all those who manage spaces and settings in which children play, and for those involved in designing and maintaining them. The initiative is supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK Government.

Useful documents:

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Positive approach to risk in play: tPlay Scotland is a member of the UK Play Safety Forum (PSF) which promotes the wellbeing of children and young people through ensuring a balance between safety, risk and challenge in respect of play and leisure provision.

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OLEY Bitesize 4 Presentation- Quality Outdoor Spaces Beyond Your Setting

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OLEY Bitesize 4 Presentation- Quality Outdoor Spaces Beyond Your Setting

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Bitesize 4 - Quality outdoor spaces beyond your setting (2020-09-29 at 08:00 GMT-7)

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OLEY Bitesize 4  - Quality Outdoor Spaces Beyond Your Setting Slides and Notes

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OLEY Bitesize 4  - Quality Outdoor Spaces Beyond Your Setting Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning Bitesize 4 - Quality Outdoor Spaces Beyond Your Setting

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Lochinver Pre-School Outdoor Marine Litter Community Project

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Lochinver Pre-School Outdoor Marine Litter Community Project

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OLEY Bitesize 3 Presentation- Quality Outdoor Spaces In Your Setting

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OLEY Bitesize 3 Presentation- Quality Outdoor Spaces In Your Setting

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Bitesize 3 - Quality outdoor spaces within your setting (2020-09-23 at 07:59 GMT-7)

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OLEY Bitesize 3  - Quality Outdoor Spaces In Your Setting Slides and Notes

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OLEY Bitesize 3  - Quality Outdoor Spaces In Your Setting Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning Bitesize 3 - Developing a Quality Learning Environment in your Setting

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Scotland's Outdoor Play and Learning Coalition Position Statement

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Scotland's Outdoor Play and Learning Coalition Position Statement

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Early Years Graduate, Mel Nicholson, shares an insight into the development of the outdoor space at South Lodge ELC.

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OLEY Bitesize 2 Presentation- Design Play Principles

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OLEY Bitesize 2 Presentation- Design Play Principles

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Bitesize 2 - Design Play Principles

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OLEY Bitesize 2 - Design Play Principles Slides and Notes

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OLEY Bitesize 2 - Design Play Principles Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning Bitesize 2 - Design Play Principles

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Linking Sobel Play Principles to Realising the Ambition

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Linking Sobel Play Principles to Realising the Ambition

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A short video created by one of the Highland Outdoor leaders which demonstrates how you can weave together national practice and curriculum guidance with Sobel's Play Principles.

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Sobel's Design Principles - Building Play Pedagogy - How I link them to Realising the Ambition.

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A useful tool created by one of the Highland Outdoor Leaders which can be used to assess your outdoor spaces.

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Early Years Outdoor Provision Audit Example

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Early Years Outdoor Provision Audit Example

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This is an example of an Early Years Outdoor Provision Audit created by Juliet Robertson. This resource was created pre-Covid and is currently under review.

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OLEY Bitesize 1 - Practical Considerations Slides and Notes

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OLEY Bitesize 1 - Practical Considerations Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning Bitesize 1 - Practical Considerations

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OLEY Bitesize 1 Presentation - Practical Considerations

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OLEY Bitesize 1 Presentation - Practical Considerations

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Bitesize 1 - Practical Considerations (2020-09-09 at 08:01 GMT-7)

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Episode 5: Alex Barrable, ‘Last Child in the Woods’ by Richard Louv  - Dundee University Book Club

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Episode 5: Alex Barrable, ‘Last Child in the Woods’ by Richard Louv  - Dundee University Book Club

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In this episode Dr Alex Barrable, Lecturer in Education at the School of Education and Social Work, discusses some of the key ideas and themes from the book ‘Last child in the woods’ by Richard Louv.

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Guidance for creating high-quality experiences and opportunities for children in indoor/outdoor settings

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Practical advice to support Outdoor Learning from Care Inspectorate

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Introduction Session Slides and Notes

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Introduction Session Slides and Notes

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Recording of the Outdoor Learning in Early Years Introduction Session 1.9.20

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Outdoor Learning in Early Years Introduction Session (2020-09-01 at 08:01 GMT-7)

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Delivering High Quality Play and Learning Environments Outdoors

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Out to Play - Practical Guidance for Creating Play Experiences in ELC 

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Out to Play - Practical Guidance for Creating Play Experiences in ELC 

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Menu of Resources to Support Outdoor Learning - Highland

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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I first blogged about this matter in March 2009 and then again in 2014. This is now the fourth update. I thought it was time to update it in light of the expansion of outdoor nurseries that is currently happening in Scotland as well as the national emphasis on outdoor learning as Scottish schools return. The post is mainly aimed at those who work with younger children but the advice can be adapted accordingly for any age. There's two elements to this post. Firstly there is 'temporary toileting' which covers advice when out and about. The second is when a site is well used and there are no public toilets or installed flush water toilets nearby.

As usual, common sense prevails along with available guidelines when it comes to toileting outdoors:

If you can use a public convenience then do so - and your local education COVID-19 guidelines permit this

Put in place an environmentally sustainable and Leave No Trace approach.

Be mindful of the need to respect children's privacy and dignity.

Ensure your procedures follow best hygiene and infection control practice as much as possible.

Is there a "best approach"?

When discussing the matter with staff working in outdoor nurseries and forest kindergartens, I found quite a number of approaches are taken to toileting outdoors. This is because different situations require different ways of thinking. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Generally, children are encouraged to go to the toilet before setting off or arriving on-site. Getting in and out of dungarees, all-in-one-suits and other outdoor gear is a faff, so children tend not to need the toilet as much outside. Some kindergartens create a little privy area behind a home-made fence or portable windbreak. Some choose key moments through the day, where every child goes to the toilet. I have mixed feelings about the latter approach in that this has the potential to disrupt play and for a child who can independently manage their toileting seems unnecessary.

Wild Toileting

When a site does not have toilet facilities or if you are too far away from public conveniences, it is important to follow the Scottish Access Code guidelines if you go to the toilet outside:

If anyone needs a pee, then this must be done at least 30m from open water, rivers or streams.

Although pee is less harmful than poo, its smell is unpleasant, so avoid peeing in caves, at the foot of crags or behind any buildings. Also encourage children (especially boys) to aim onto the ground. Remember to avoid peeing on logs or directly onto a "pee tree".

If anyone needs a poo, then go as far away as possible from buildings, from open water, rivers and streams, and from any farm animals. Remove the human poo and used toilet paper, in a double wrapped, sealed, biodegradable plastic bag and dispose of it off site, following your local authority guidelines for biological agents. This is the best approach in that it leaves no trace. If you are unable to remove the poo and paper, then you will first need to dig a shallow hole. Bury the poo in the hole and replace the turf. Carry a plastic trowel with you for this purpose. Be aware that this really is an emergency approach. Pathogens can hang around in the soil for a very long time.

Always treat sanitary towels and tampons in line with disposing of other blood-soiled products. Never bury these items. Double wrap in sealed plastic bags and take back to school for correct disposal.

Wash your hands, following good hand hygiene practices. Have a look at this blog post for the variety of ways and things to consider.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has a handy leaflet which explains other procedures more specifically, in order to minimise the impact of one's visit. This is important reading for all who lead off-site visits. It also gives sensible advice about sustainable approaches such as using cornstarch or biobags and the need to use biodegradable soap. Do be aware that some of its hand hygiene advice differs to that of Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and that schools and nurseries are should follow HPS advice in the first instance.

When using the same site continuously

In sites with higher usage then a wild toileting approach is not okay as the soil will not cope with large amounts of ammonia contained in the urine (interestingly, a well-managed compost heap does like urine, so bear this in mind). This is important if your setting or school is using the same site on a continuous basis. Discuss your proposals with a local environmental health officer. Public safety is of paramount importance and avoiding inadvertent contact with pathogenic material or the leaching of this into the wider area.

Portable potty and toileting approaches

In some instances, it may be appropriate to use a travel potty or portable toilet and then to dispose of the contents in line with your establishment's procedures for handling biological waste back at your centre. What does matter is that the approach leaves no trace, is hygienic and any product used is environmentally sustainable. With the increased popularity of festivals portable toilets of all types can be found with an online search. Be aware that children and adults sit at different heights so do not assume they can share a toilet.

Try googling "travel potty". This approach is fine if you have the occasional child needing an occasional poo. However, at an outdoor nursery, you may well get a lot of children needing to do this. Very quickly the "bag-it-up" approach becomes expensive and unsustainable in every way.

In due course, it may be that self-sanitising biodegradable options will become available in the UK . The Swedish Peepoople organisation has created a product which is being used in a variety of countries and including schools where no sanitation facilities exist. This could cut out the concerns around handling human waste associated with compost toilets (scroll down for more info here).

Little girls and wild peeing

There has been a tradition of lifting little girls up to let them pee so that they don't get their outdoor clothing wet. This is not recommended, either for the dignity of the child or for the unnecessary manual handling undertaken by the staff member. Instead, a potette potty can be put over a cleared patch of soil so that girls can sit on this and pee directly into the ground, without the need for a bag. Just remember to put back the woodland litter at the end of the session.

Disposal of bags

It is inadvisable to put nappies and bags of poo into public litter bins as a responsible childcare provider or educator. It is your responsibility to take them back to the nursery and dispose of them as per nappies and other human waste. If you do not have these facilities then you need to seek a place that has and come to an agreement over the costs of disposal.

There is an urban myth that it is okay to put nappies and bags of poo into doo poo bins. Again, this practice is questionable because the disposal of the contents of dog bins varies from council to council. Furthermore, dog poo bins are small. If you are putting a large bag in there, then there's less space for dog mess.

Chemical toilets

Some fixed outdoor nursery sites choose to use chemical toilets. It does mean the toilets need emptied on a weekly rather than daily basis. Many chemical approaches are becoming more environmentally friendly so it's worth finding out what products are available.

Regardless, someone will need to carry the toilets out and dispose of the contents. This will involve manual handling of the waste. Or this will have to be a paid-for service. It's worth asking a local campsite if they can offer to take the waste as they usually have the correct facilities for managing camper van toilets. At Oban Stramash to empty five or six toilets in this way involves one member of staff working for 1 to 1.5 hours. So this time needs to be factored in the weekly or fortnightly routines.

Hiring outdoor toilets

This can be an option for primary schools where children can cope with the height of the toilets. Do an online search to find out about local companies that can do this, precisely what is involved in the service, length of contract and any hidden costs. Be prepared to ask about environmentally friendly chemicals, whether the toilet is suitable for the age and amount of use you expect. Check about suitable places to site a toilet and footfall around the entrance. You need to avoid an inadvertent mud bath at the toilet so ground surface matters. Covid-19 measures are also likely to be in place.

Child protection and toileting outside with dignity

Child protection procedures always apply outdoors. If you have to change nappies, children clothes or assist with toileting, follow your school or local authority procedures. It means that a degree of privacy is needed.

In Sweden there is a proverb, "Walk seven bushes". Now this is very sensible advice. Try it for yourself the next time you are in a wood. It's just about the right distance to give you a suitable amount of privacy.

However, this is not so easy when working at open sites such as fields, the beach or walking in a built up urban area.

When walking down an urban street where there is no discrete place, using a human shield is an effective approach to maintaining a child's dignity. This is where the group gathers round in a circle or semi-circle facing outwards and the child who needs the toilet is sheltered from vision by the group and supported by a member of staff.

With beach visits, try experimenting with shelters such as the traditional wind break, pop up shelters and bothy shelters. However these can be time consuming to erect especially on windy or cold days. Watch out for pop up tents - you need one without a floor. A simple tripod is quick to erect if you are willing to bring long poles, e.g. 120cm or longer for children. Alternatively human shields can used if there is no rock, nook or cranny to nip behind or simply too many other visitors around.

How do you keep the toilet roll dry?

This is a good point. Wet loo roll is not good. A low cost hygiene approach is to take a toilet roll and remove the inside cardboard tube. Pull out some of the sheets from the inside hole you have left. Put the roll in a freezer bag and ensure the sheets coming from the inner hole come out of the top of the freezer bag. Loosely tie an elastic band around the top of the freezer bag and sheets of toilet paper. When you continue to pull the toilet paper it should easily come out of the bag.

What about adults accompanying children?

Remember to have procedures in place for enabling adults to go to the toilet. For example, some settings prefer adults to go in pairs, so that one can lookout for the other and ensure children do not accidentally come across an adult going to the toilet in the woods.

It has to be emphasised that some adults may need support and time to adjust to the concept of wild toileting or managing with more basic provision. Listen to their concerns and look for positive solutions. For example, having a designated space further away, a system for quietly being able to go, a way of managing sanitary needs, and even a portable seat can all make a difference to comfort levels and dignity. Portable seats are easy to find, such as these examples from Muddy Faces, Popaloo and Bog in a Bag.

How can we change children's nappies?

As much as possible, nurseries should be encouraging children to learn how to go to the toilet off-site too. Putting children back into nappies for the purposes of going off-site is probably not a helpful step forward. Instead have procedures in place for supporting children who are being toilet trained and take changes of clothes just in case an accident happens. For example, wearing waterproof trousers rather than dungarees or all-in-ones can speed up the process of toileting when time is of essence!

For nappy changing, pop-up shelters or pods can be handy, as can be a roll up changing mat for nomadic nurseries or if you visit a woodland on a weekly basis, particularly with babies. Standing up nappy changing is also an option to consider.

Whatever your method, ensure you discuss this both with the parent and the child so that everyone is informed and aware. Likewise, you need to ensure the privacy and dignity of the child and that the experience is okay for them. Your hygiene practices should also dovetail with Health Protection Scotland guidance.

At present there seems to be uncertainty nationally in Scotland about floor-based and raised nappy changing stations. This may depend on the age of the children in your care and their precise needs. The surface needs to be easy to clean and insulated so that children or babies are not lying on a cold or damp surface. What does matter is that staff have manual handling training and know how to change a nappy in a way that also looks after their own health as well as that of the child. Below is a raised nappy changing area in the disabled toilet at the Circle of Life Rediscovery CIC in East Sussex:

At Stramash Elgin, the pallet approach is also taken to nappy changing. The photo below is from their old site at Badger Wood in 2017. If you look carefully, you can see there's a pallet to raise the changing area off the ground. As with a standard changing area, there's a cleaning rota in place and infection control advice posted to remind staff of the correct procedure and things to remember. Everything is kept in a waterproof container to ensure it is clean and dry.

Compost toilets

Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in using compost toilets which can be a sustainable solution. A useful starting point for finding out more about these is the Eco Loo Study, published in 2010, which states that:

" Water flush toilets are the standard offering that the public finds most comfortable, that contractors and regulatory authorities understand, and know how to manage. This standard then needs to be balanced with the needs of the natural environment: water-based toilets pollute large volumes of clean water which then need to be cleansed before being returned to nature. The nutrients that remain in faeces are wasted and typically released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases that may also be malodorous.

The design of sustainable toilets and drainage should ensure that waste and wastewater is recovered, treated or disposed of without endangering human health or harming the environment, and in particular without risk to water, air, soils, plants or animals. Toilets should not cause a nuisance through noise or odours and toilet buildings should integrate sympathetically with their surroundings. " p6

Always discuss toileting approaches with the site owner or manager so that you both have a shared agreement and understanding of the procedures which are used. Again, you will need to involve your local environmental health officer. In addition, you may find you need planning permission, and have to consult SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) who may need to approve the discharges.

You have to be aware that compost toilets are significantly more work to manage and maintain than installed water flush toilets. This should be factored into the site maintenance schedules. When working well, they can be a brilliant solution to managing waste onsite and the smell is minimal, if the compost toilet system is functioning properly. There are lots of different designs and approaches. You will need to do a lot of homework to ensure you fully understand what you need. What works well on one site, may not suit another. It depends on anticipated usage and site specific environmental factors. You need to consider how the waste will be processed and who will do this task as this element is often missed from the "oh, it's so easy" blurb found on many websites. The Eco Loo study makes a very significant comment:
We take the position that commercially-available 'composting toilets' do not work well at typical U.K. temperatures, and very little composting occurs. The storage vessels act primarily as holding tanks and therefore provision must be made for further processing of the accumulating solids. If there is no outlet on a composting unit, allowing liquid to drain, the vessel risks turning into a cesspool [G], which is illegal in Scotland. (p18)
One crux matter is to know how well used your compost toilets are likely to be. Occasional use by a group of ten children is very different to an all-day nursery with 30+ children. Some companies are beginning to provide better information on their website and are worth talking to in advance.

When in the Czech Republic, one NGO that specialised in composting, had a sensible system that followed this approach. Firstly, the collection bin was not too big. The accumulating solids would be transferred every 3-4 months to a sealed composting unit nearby for further breakdown. From here, the waste matter was left to further break down in an outdoor compost heap. This contained only human waste matter (with the sawdust/wood shavings). Other traditional compost heaps were used for vegetable waste. Once it had broken down over a further few months, the compost was used. In line with best practice, the human waste compost was not put under trees, shrubs or on plots that were growing food for human consumption. In this sort of system, it is important to ensure children and visitors cannot access the human waste compost during any stage of the breakdown. PPE must be worn by the person who is working with the compost and a risk assessment carried out.

One thing to remember is that nursery-aged children are a lot smaller than adults. Using a standard compost toilet seat will not work. They need child-sized seats. Another consideration is the understanding of how much sawdust or equivalent needs to be added. There's a tendency to over add, especially if your toilet is already smelly - which may not be a good sign.

Other alternatives

There are other ways of managing human waste. As with other approaches, engaging with environmental health officers, SEPA and anyone else who needs to know is a must. World-wide pit latrines are common but I have yet to know of one that is accepted and used within an outdoor nursery. Highway Farm have a remote pit method which was established in consultation with their local environmental health officer. It involves daily removal of poo and pee from the toilets into a fenced off area. Fresh pits are dug every few months and the filled up gradually with the turf replaced daily. The nursery is onto it's second rotation now, after several years, so the holes are much easier to dig and the previous matter has been fully composted but is left in situ. If you have a site that is prone to flooding or getting very wet then this may not work and a raised system used.

Finally...

In my experience, toileting routines are a big concern prior to setting up regular off-site visits or outdoor nurseries but once things are up and running, this matter lessens and usually becomes no more of an issue than back at nursery or school. If you have a child who has particular toileting needs, then ensuring their parent or carer is involved in setting up systems can be helpful too so that there is consistency between home, school and the outdoor space.

Whilst this is a lot of toilet talk, your advice and thoughts are appreciated on this matter! Do you live outwith the UK? What advice can you give from your country?
Note: This blog post is written in good faith and should not be used as a definitive guide to toileting outside. It's a complex matter. Always seek expert advice.

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I first blogged about this matter in March 2009 and then again in 2014. This is now the fourth update. I thought it was time to update it in light of the expansion of outdoor nurseries that is currently happening in Scotland as well as the national emphasis on outdoor learning as Scottish schools return.

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Important note: The aim of this post is to clarify some of the terms used and to help practitioners create their own routines and procedures. However, always seek guidance from your regulatory bodies, local authority and environmental health officer in the first instance, particularly now that COVID-19 measures are in place and correct hand washing procedures and duration of washing matter more than ever!

The article was originally written in 2011 and was a joint effort by Juliet Robertson and Jason Tetro, a hygiene researcher at Ottawa University. He writes an upbeat blog The Germ Guy which will give you lots of useful information. Thanks Jason, for all your input and advice!

How many times you have washed your hands today?

For how long did you wash your hands? The recommended minimum time is 15-20 seconds or the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday".

Did you follow the correct procedures? This includes proper rinsing and drying.

Did you use handwipes or sanitisers?

If you answered "Yes" to the last question, there may be a problem.

Health Protection Scotland have issued two statements that impact upon hand washing outside. The first is their Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings. The second is guidance specifically for outdoor nurseries which is significantly more stringent.

On the surface, the advice looks quite straightforward and sensible in both documents. I'm sure almost all of us would agree that good hygiene routines and practice is essential in any nursery, indoors or out. Soap and running water is best. It's natural and it's effective when hands are washed carefully and properly.

Underneath the surface I believe these statements adds to the confusion and uncertainty surrounding best practice in outdoor hygiene. Not least because in Scotland, there are now different classifications of nurseries based upon the nature of the outdoor provision.

It is worth noting that to-date there has been no recorded outbreak of E.coli or any other infection associated with fecal-oral transmission in any UK outdoor nursery. This is the main concern over hand hygiene. Scotland has a high and rising rate of E.coli infections compared to other European countries. As a result, outdoor nurseries have been allocated the same health and safety standards used when on farm visits rather than standards applied to nurseries on an off-site trip. This purports fear, paranoia and a lack of understanding about the benefits of outdoor nurseries and the actual risks of attending one.

Schools and settings should not feel that they must stick to trips where public toilets are in the immediate vicinity. Children need to learn to manage toileting, handwashing and other personal hygiene where such facilities do not exist or do not work. For expeditions and many walks, it is unreasonable and impractical to have to have a place with running water facilities every half a mile or so. Imagine what Ben Nevis and all our other Scottish hills would look like with taps installed at regular intervals up the paths!

Hand hygiene outdoors

What is "Running Water"?

By running water, this means fresh, clean water that is not stagnant. It can come from a bottle. It does not have to come from a tap. There has to be low turbidity, low levels of organic carbon, no evidence of microbial growth and have either a pleasing or no odour. This is fairly common sense when it comes to water. Cross-contamination needs to be avoided. Thus the good old-fashioned bowl on sticks at camps in the Seventies is now a no-no, according to infection control specialists.

Likewise, each child must carry their own personal hand towel for drying their hands or use paper towels. This does debunk the myth that running water and soap is less wasteful than handwipes outside.

In remote locations where running water is not available, the health and safety advice is to take reasonable, practical steps to minimise the risk. The definitive guide is the World Health Organisation Hand Hygiene Guidelines. This is an interesting document in that there are not blanket statements but advice which includes the need to take account of local cultures and contexts. In Section 10.3, the guidelines state the need for better research methods, particularly in relation to ordinary circumstances rather than laboratory controlled experiments. A good example of an alternative approach taken in other countries is the use of tippy taps which are easily made from canisters, paracord and a wooden frame. Interestingly, this is becoming increasingly popular on static greenspace sites in the UK. Do remember to check that your children are physically able to use one.

As part of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 9-year old boy, Stephen Wamukota, from Kenya has invented a hand washing machine which adopts a similar process for enabling hands free washing outside. Whilst this is a lovely invention, remember that hands free is not necessary within Scotland. Using the correct hand washing technique with soap and running water kill the bacterial and viruses and prevents transmission.

In the absence of "normal" running water, we have to look towards other sources, even if they are different from the norm. Perhaps it's less about the running water and more about the fact that our environment is so naturally contaminated that we believe we need a human factor to ensure safety. We need to take a more ecological view.

Why is soap and water sufficient for hand washing?

This is a common question, particularly now we have COVID-19 within our communities world-wide. The Guardian has this article that explains the science behind soap and water.

Should we be purifying our water?

There are many ways of purifying water such as evaporating and distilling it. This should not be necessary on day visits or places where you can refill with tap water. It may be a consideration for multi-day expeditions or school visits to some countries. There are many different types of filter pumps on the market. Antimicrobials such as ethanol, chlorine and chlorohexidine gluconate can be added. Advice should always be sought from your local authority outdoor education or health and safety team over use of purification methods.

What are the issues with sanitisers?

Alcohol based rubs and sanitisers are only effective on clean hands that have no visible contamination. Essentially they make clean hands ultra clean! The 99% claim on the package is only in lab tests and that effectiveness in the real world is considerably less, whether the active ingredient is alcohol or another antimicrobial chemical. Moreover, hand sanitisers work best to remove bacteria, viruses and fungi that are transient on the skin, that is, they can be spread easily through touch. If hands are grossly contaminated, hand sanitisers will not be able to return hands to safety as there needs to be friction and pressure to remove the contamination from the skin. The use of a wetted fabric such as towel or wet naps and/or nappy wipes can work well. A 2004 systematic review of the use of hand sanitisers in schools suggests the effectiveness is of low quality and any benefits should be treated with caution.

There are some cultural issues associated with hand sanitisers. These focus on the use of alcohol rather than risks around ingestion. There are a plethora of non-alcohol based sanitisers that have a longer lasting effect in terms of disinfection and come in a foam spray.

Since May 2018, Health Protection Scotland have advocated alcohol-based hand rubs should be available for adults in childcare settings. See page 5 of the document.

What about handwipes?

Since the publication of the revised guidelines to ELC settings in 2018, hand wipes may be used, but hands should be washed at the first available opportunity and certainly before and after a number of situations - see the guidance for more clarification on p5. Furthermore, HPS are now stipulating that warm water should be used. This need not be a problem.. tepid water is sufficient and wrapping bubblewrap around a water bottle keeps water sufficiently warm for a morning. Below is Mucky Boots Nature Kindergarten 's beautiful DIY approach:

Through my own work with children, I have noticed that outside, there are occasions where hand wipes are ineffective. The first is when a child's hands are covered in mud. In other words, the visual contamination is significant. The other is on a beach where the sand particles seem to be particularly resistant to being removed.

The long term effects of using wipes are purportedly unknown. It may seem like a strange assumption given that thousands of babies' bottoms are wiped daily for over two years whilst having their nappies changed. However from an environmental perspective, wet wipes are not ideal and care should be taken to use biodegradable options, if you feel you must use them. There is an increasing move towards using cloth towels. When this happens, you need systems in place to ensure there is no cross-contamination happening by children using a towel belonging to another child or by towels being stored in such a way that they touch other towels. Remember to use biodegradable soap - pump action bottles are often advised and antibacterial soap is not necessary.

Can children clean their hands properly without an adult present?

For children to wash their hands in the correct manner for 15 to 20 seconds at a time, they need clear support until the habit is embedded. Adults need to model the process. Photo prompts, a song and other reminders may be needed. This is best learned prior to the colder winter months, when the temperatures go down and the body chill times go up. Asking parents to help reinforce the correct procedures at home can also speed up the learning process. This is also why warm water makes a difference. Children will need to be shown how to do this in ways that minimises water use especially if you have to carry water onto your site on a daily basis. Whilst the example from the 2-3yr old sink is indoors at the Cowgate U5s Centre, have a look at the use of real photos in the hand washing sequence which make the actions needed very clear.

What about parental viewpoints on hand hygiene?

Returning to HPS advice on hand hygiene, it is recommended that settings inform parents about hand hygiene procedures and practice outside - both within the designated outdoor space and for off-site trips as well as indoors.

The main points to remember

Ensure advice is available to parents about hand hygiene outdoors in the designated space and for off-site trips. Parents should know that they can request their child uses soap and warm running water at all times and staff must ensure this happens.

Consider hand hygiene in school grounds or outdoor space. Can children easily access running water and soap? What happens to the paper towels and hand wipes, once used? Is there a bin or bag nearby? What happens to the used water... is there a soakaway or another method for disposing safely of the grey water?

At all times, encourage children to use the proper techniques for getting hands really clean and eventually being able to do this independently of adults.

If your setting still uses handwipes and/or sanitisers, think carefully about the types which are most suitable and seek advice here. Handwashing with soap and water is best practice.

Schools and nurseries can still visit places where public toilet facilities may not exist. However, this should be put in your risk benefit assessment and clear routines and procedures must be in place that all staff, volunteers and children know and can easily follow.

Always take a large bottle of clean water, soap and some cloth or paper towels on a day trip, even if the decision to use handwipes has been taken. In the event of a child getting very soiled hands, then the soap and water can be used.

Contact with animals
Most governments and regulatory bodies provide guidance about hand washing after contact with animals, their feed, bedding, etc. Check out the expectations and follow these. If your setting has animals, then it is likely that the same stringent guidelines apply.

What does an outdoor hand hygiene station look like?

There are many options for hand hygiene for all budgets and situations. Everyone has a different opinion as to what works well, so you will need to bear in mind that the comments below are based upon my experience along with visits to many different settings, including outdoor ones.

Kiddiwash sinks. These are rip-roaringly expensive and whilst can be carried inside and out, they are not suitable for situations where you are carrying kit in a backpack. However their website has lots of information that is relatively jargon-free.

Igloo containers. These hold much more water than Kiddiwash sinks and are useful for static outdoor nurseries with no access to mains water. They come in a range of sizes. Although originally used for keeping ice from melting, their insulating properties mean they keep warm water warm. Thanks to Cameron Sprague, who works at Stramash Fort William for supply the photo below. He also recommends changing the spigot to a paddle tap to make it easier for children to use.

Solar showers. Several years ago I experimented with a range of models. I didn't find any I truly liked that fostered independent use by a child. But more types may have come onto the market and pressurised showers are becoming more commonplace. They can often take a lot of water but in Scotland you cannot rely upon the sun to keep the water warm. You will need to insulate the holder.

Cosy water holders. These rely on a plastic stick being moved up to release water. They are particularly good for children who cannot manage to turn a tap or press a lever. The current models do drip water so not ideal but I have come across other models on my travels. However being lightweight and cheap, they are extremely useful. You can see an example below used in a static set up at Oban Stramash Outdoor Nursery. I have also wrapped these water holders onto tree trunks using shockcord elastic.

Spa Taps are a wonderful contraption which allows three different ways of accessing water. Children can use this independently and they fit a broad range of bottles including soft and hard bottles and big bottles too. This is very good for schools and nurseries who visit woods weekly but set up from scratch each time. They are significantly more expensive than the water holders above (around £16-18 at the time of writing). I think they are worth the investment for several reasons:

1. They are useable by very young children - you simply touch the silicone to get the water out or remove the bung so there is a trickle of water.

2. They use the minimum of water, so this saves water and also saves on carrying a lot of water onto a site. I'm finding that 100ml per 3 or 4 yr old child is plenty even when children are new to the system. The Spa Tap website suggests 50ml is possible with older children.

3. On their website you can donate a Spa Tap to another school that needs one for their hand hygiene where water is scarce.

I have created a Hand Hygiene Pinterest board with examples of the different methods I have encountered. You can see an annotated photo of how a Spa Tap washing line approach can be set up, which is incredibly quick, simple and low cost. This will need adjusted for your country's specific requirements, e.g. a lidded bin instead of a plastic bag in England.

Thrive Outdoors have created an outdoor hand hygiene guidance to help you consider what you need for your own outdoor space.

Muddy Faces now have a comprehensive range of hand washing items from buckets, sinks, containers and so on.

Learning how to wash your hands.

Health Protection Scotland has a suite of resources on this subject. However this video is quite funky. NHS has also produced this video which has clear visuals. Baltic Street Adventure Playground have also created a dance version and would encourage children to do the same 🙂

Finally, this blog post has been written in good faith. Any other experiences or advice or links to hand hygiene research, especially in outdoor contexts are always welcomed.

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Important note: The aim of this post is to clarify some of the terms used and to help practitioners create their own routines and procedures. However, always seek guidance from your regulatory bodies, local authority and environmental health officer in the first instance, particularly now that COVID-19 measures are in place and correct hand washing procedures and duration of washing matter more than ever!