Does your playgroup love an outing? Do you organise walks to the local park, post office or library? Maybe you’ve set your sites higher and organised a Zoo visit or a trip to a park in another suburb or town?

If you have gone further afield – leave some tips below for our other groups who might only be starting to think about widening the playgroup vista.

If you are a bit timid about taking your group to a new location – start with a group discussion and listen to everyone’s view point. Some new parents might not be up to an outing while others with toddlers and older children are probably up for the challenge!

It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive; just a walk to the local park for morning tea can be a real treat and a trip to post office to send a letter to yourself is fun too.

If you’d like to plan something a little further away, consider:

• Who decides where and when?
• Is it free or is the cost within the reach of all families?
• Does the activity or destination fit the playgroup philosophy so that it is suitable for all families and children of all ages?
• How will families without transport get there?
• Would it add to the experience to hire a bus?
• Should it be during playgroup time or a family day on the weekend?
• Can/should the excursion be subsidised out of general funds?

Do remember, anything out of the ordinary can make children very excited and they can easily forget the simple rules they are used to in the familiar playgroup environment.

Adults will need to be extra vigilant on excursions especially around traffic or water and remember to be SunSmart even in the cooler months of the year!

Some excursion ideas

• Local parks and gardens, – think of those parks out of your immediate area which may be new to your members (if you know of one – please comment below)
• Walk to the deli, walk to the letter box, walk around the block
• The local library will almost certainly have story time sessions
• Some fire stations will let playgroups visit or can bring a fire engine to visit you
• Take a train, bus or ferry ride
• Kings Park in the city or Whiteman Park to the east
• Visit an animal farm – there are many dotted around the city or if you’re in a country area – ask one of the families with a farm if you could visit their property!

Other excursion ideas (where higher costs might be involved)

• Wildlife parks, animal sanctuaries and the zoo
• Indoor play centres
• Farm schools and display farms
• Museums, exhibitions and science displays

Insurance cover for excursions

For information about specific conditions relating to insurance cover during playgroup outings, please call our Hotline on 1800 171 882 or read more on our Playgroup WA Resource Kit here.