[Read in 3 minutes] Rethinking childcare walks. Separating "transit" from "true walks" expands a child's world.

Good morning. This is ART, who left a delivery at the door on a rainy day and, upon seeing the soggy cardboard box that had arrived, prayed for the safety of the clothes inside.

Today is about walks. A junior colleague recently said, "Let's go for a walk to such-and-such park!" and I would like to turn the conversation we had then into an article.

When you call out, "Let's go for a walk," what happens at your nursery?

Safely, on time, and efficiently.

The children form a line and walk while being told, "Don't take detours" and "Don't stop."

This scene is something everyone has surely seen at least once at any nursery.

But I want to dig a little deeper and think about it.
Is that really a "walk"?

To conclude, in many cases, that is not a "walk," but rather "transit" to get to a destination.

Today, I would like to unravel that a little bit.

The assumption that "a walk = going to a park"

In childcare settings, walks tend to become a "preliminary step to playing at the park."

That is precisely why the time spent in transit is inevitably prioritized to be "short, safe, and efficient."

Of course, that in itself is not wrong.

• The experience of walking as a group

• Learning traffic rules

• Building physical strength

These are all important lessons.

However, if we keep this premise, children stopping or taking detours becomes a "delay," "danger," or "trouble."

There is a discrepancy here.

Thinking about "transit" and "walks" separately

What I want to convey in this article is simple.

Separate the time it takes to get to the park as "transit," and create a separate "real walk time."

With just this, the quality of childcare changes significantly.

• Today is a "transit day" (getting there as quickly and safely as possible)

• Today is a "walk day" (detours are okay, enjoy the encounters)

When you separate the purposes, the way you talk to the children changes too.

Instead of "Hurry up," I believe it changes to "I wonder what we'll find today?"

Real walks begin with detours

So, what is a "real walk"?

It is time based on the premise that things won't go as planned.

For example—

1. Choosing a different route than usual

Just by turning onto a side street, the scenery changes completely.

Flowers you've never seen, interesting signs, mysterious ornaments.

Children stop immediately and start saying, "What's this?" or "Look!"

The dialogue that emerges in these moments is the core of a walk.

2. Trying to enter an alleyway

A place that is a little dark, a little quiet, and a little exciting.

"This is like a secret base"
"I wonder if there are ghosts"

Imagination that is hard to draw out in a manicured park is naturally brought forth.

When the environment changes, language changes too.

3. Enjoying dead ends

What do you do when you encounter a dead end?

Turn back?
Look for a different path?

There is no right answer.
That is precisely why children start to think.

The moment "What should we do?" is born is very valuable in childcare.

Time that looks like a "waste" is packed with learning

If you look only at efficiency, detours and stopping are inefficient.

However, childcare is not a competition of efficiency.

• Experiences that don't go as planned

• Unexpected discoveries

• Time to stop and think

These are all types of learning that are difficult to create inside the nursery.

That is why I believe walks have value.

Practical points you can use in the field

I have also included specific ideas you can change starting tomorrow.

• Share in advance that "today is a day where detours are okay"

• Dare not to decide the route too strictly (only the general framework)

• Assign someone to pick up on what the children are "curious about"

• Include time for stopping in your "planned schedule"

• Verbalize "what did you find?" after returning to the nursery

Even just doing this brings "transit" closer to a "walk."

Balancing with safety

This is something we cannot ignore in the field.

Being free does not mean being disorderly.

• Decide on a safe range in advance

• Clarify staff placement

• Choose places to stop

Allowing freedom within boundaries is professional childcare.

A walk is not about "where you go"

What if, when you arrive at the park, many conversations and discoveries have already been made?

That is proof that the "transit time" has changed.

A walk is not about going somewhere, but about encountering something.

Taking the long way is fine.
Taking a detour is fine.
A dead end is fine.

It is a time to intentionally accept that things won't go as planned.

I believe that is a "real walk" for a child.

One last thing.

For your next walk, instead of the destination, try thinking about
"what kind of encounters to create."

With that one step, the usual path will transform into a completely different childcare experience.

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I plan to continue sharing childcare rephrasings and perspectives that can be used in practice.

For those who would like to hear more in-depth discussions, I look forward to seeing you in our membership.

Thank you for reading until the end.
I hope this will be helpful for your childcare and parenting.