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. 

• When inside, move around the room, walk between tables or desks, and engage with children in different areas.

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.

As a volunteer, you may never be alone with the children. A staff member must always be present.

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.

• Maintain back to the wall concept 

• Address safety 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 adults 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 adults. 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.