Free templateAdministration

Outdoor Health & Safety Checklist

A month of playground checks in one printable set: a daily Monday-to-Friday checklist for each of five weeks, plus weekly and monthly responsibilities and a list of general safety reminders.

Format: Printable PDF · A4
Pages: 7 (five weekly sheets, plus weekly and monthly tasks and reminders)
Best for: Room staff · directors
Updated: Sept 2026

Download free template See what’s inside

No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.

Preview of the Outdoor Health & Safety Checklist

What’s inside

Daily, weekly and monthly checks for your outdoor space

Daily responsibilities, Week 1 to Week 5One sheet per week with a box for each day, Monday to Friday, and Year and Month fields at the top.
Six daily checksInitial inspection, garbage removal, toy and equipment check, fence and gate inspection, surface inspection and water play equipment.
Weekly responsibilitiesDeep clean of toys and equipment, a detailed inspection for wear and tear, and a thorough fence and gate check — ticked off for weeks 1 to 5.
Monthly responsibilitiesDeep disinfection, surface maintenance (mulch, sand, rubber mats) and a maintenance check for loose fixtures or other damage.
General safety remindersDressing for the weather, water breaks, roll call and headcounts, supervision and positioning, and bringing toys and belongings back inside.

How to use it

Four steps to put it to work this week

1
Print a set each monthWrite the year and month at the top, and keep the sheets on a clipboard by the exit to the playground.
2
Do the daily checks before children go outWalk the space, work through the six daily items and mark that day’s box on the current week’s sheet.
3
Complete the weekly tasksOnce a week, do the deep clean, detailed equipment inspection and fence and gate check, and mark the week’s column.
4
Complete the monthly tasks and file the setDo the deep disinfection, surface maintenance and maintenance check, then file the month’s sheets where the director can find them.

Tips from operators

What centers that use this well do differently

Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.

Set your weather thresholds in writing

Wind chill, heat and UV limits should be written down and posted by the door, not decided there each morning.

Keep a hazard kit by the exit

Gloves, a bag and a small rake make the morning walk a two-minute job.

Photograph equipment quarterly

A dated photo set is useful evidence of condition when insurers or inspectors ask.

Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro

Custom checklists and forms, time-stamped and filed for inspection

Build any checklist or form once in ChildFriendly Pro, assign it to a room or role, and every completion is time-stamped, signed and filed in your inspection binder — ready for licensing or public health.