Before you go out

A general list for a schoolyard like yours, not a survey of your patch. Your own risk assessment leads.

Sun and heat

Shade, water and hats before it feels urgent. On a hot day the lesson moves to the shade and the drinking happens on a rhythm, not on request.

Thunder

If you hear it, the lesson walks in. Open ground and lone trees are the two places not to be.

Slips and uneven ground

Wet grass, mud and roots take feet out at running speed. Name the walking places and the running places before anyone moves.

Sharp or man-made finds

Glass, cans and anything sharp stay where they are. The rule is flag it, do not lift it — a child who finds something fetches you.

Bees and wasps

Still beats swatting: an insect that is waved at stings. Know your sting-allergy children before you leave the door.

Staying together

Count going out, count coming back, and name the gather point before you leave. A boundary the children set with you is one they keep.