Active Supervision

Supervision is your responsibility and commitment to the families who have trusted you with their children. It is also your responsibility and commitment to the children who rely on you for guidance, nurturing, protection, and support. 

Supervision is not passive—it is an active process.
It requires consistent movement, attention, and interaction. Effective supervision means you are:

• Watching and listening

• Actively engaging with children

• Monitoring behavior and safety

• Anticipating and preventing potential problems

You should continually move around and check in on each child. This means:

• Outdoors: Ensure you can see and hear all children at all times. If needed, bring the group closer together so everyone remains within your line of sight.

• Indoors: Move around the room, walk between tables or desks, and engage with children in different areas.

• Only sitting when children are sitting

• Cell phones away

You should always know:

• • How many children are in your care

  • Where each child is located

  • What each child is doing

Simply sitting in one spot is not enough. While that may allow you to see the group, active supervision ensures you are fully aware of what’s happening and allows you to step in before issues arise.

By actively supervising, you help create a safe, supportive, and fun environment where children can thrive.

Back to the Wall

Whenever supervising children you should have your "back to the wall." This means that when supervising a group of children, they are in front of you. You may need to walk among them to move around, but if so you are always looking around and when you find a spot to stay they should all be within view. 

Free Play

Free Play is a great opportunity to build relationships and support children's social and physical development—while keeping them safe and engaged. 

• 100% of your attention should be on the children. This is the time of day that the majority of accidents/incidents occur and you need to be actively supervising.

• Follow and enforce school rules for playground use. This includes not climbing up the slide, must be on bottom when swinging, not walking on top of the monkey bars, etc.

• Work together with staff, spread out and rotate positions so that all children are observable at all times, paying particular attention to blind spots. Communicate frequently with other staff members, so that everyone is aware and on the same page.  

• Maintain back to the wall concept 

• Address safety and behavioral concerns as they arise

• Free Play is a great time to facilitate games with children of all ages. If you see children are bored or looking for something to do, you can start a group game such as Kickball, Knock Out, Four Square, Handball, etc.

Leader Clumping

Leader clumping—when staff gather together and socialize instead of spreading out—prevents proper supervision of children and poses safety risks.

To ensure a safe and engaging environment:

• Do not group together with other staff. Instead, spread out and position yourself so all areas and children are actively supervised.

• Minimize socializing with coworkers during program hours. Your focus should remain on the children at all times.

• Use intentional placement. Position yourself where you can see and hear the children clearly and respond quickly if needed.

Your presence and attention make a difference. The children rely on you for safety, support, and interaction—make sure you’re available to them at all times.