Louisiana Daycare Outdoor Play and Playground Safety Requirements

Your backyard is not automatically ready for a daycare program, even if your own kids have been playing in it for years. Louisiana has specific outdoor play requirements that your home must meet before you pass your LDOE inspection, and the standards cover everything from square footage to fencing to what is growing in the ground.

Minimum Outdoor Space Requirements

Under BESE Bulletin 137, childcare environments must provide at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space per child using the yard at any one time. For a Family Child Care home with six children, that means a minimum of 450 square feet of usable outdoor area — roughly a 20-by-23-foot space.

"Usable" is the key word. Space occupied by storage sheds, grills, landscaping beds, and other fixed objects does not count. The measurement covers only the area where children can safely move and play. Driveways and parking areas are excluded entirely.

Fencing Requirements

The outdoor play area must be enclosed with fencing that prevents children from wandering into streets, neighboring properties, or hazardous areas. While Bulletin 137 does not specify a universal fence height for the play yard perimeter, the fence must be effective at containing the youngest children in your care.

Properties with pools, spas, or any open water hazard face a stricter standard: a four-sided fence at least 5 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate that children cannot operate. This applies whether the pool is in-ground, above-ground, or inflatable if it is large enough to present a drowning risk. If you have a pool, do not assume that draining or covering it alone satisfies the required barrier; confirm the acceptable correction with OSFM or LDOE before registering.

Equipment Safety Standards

Any play equipment in your outdoor area — swings, slides, climbing structures — must be age-appropriate for the children you serve and properly maintained. Inspection points include:

• Impact-absorbing surface underneath equipment (mulch, rubber mats, or pea gravel — not concrete or bare dirt)
• No exposed bolts, sharp edges, or pinch points on structures
• Proper spacing between equipment and fences or walls
• Weight limits appropriate for the age groups using the equipment
• Secure anchoring — all climbing structures and swing sets must be anchored to the ground

You do not need a commercial-grade playground. A safe set of age-appropriate outdoor toys, a sandbox with a cover, and open space for running games will satisfy most inspectors. The important thing is that everything present is safe and maintained.

Hazard Removal

Before your inspection, walk the yard at a child's eye level. Remove or secure:

• Poisonous plants — some common Louisiana landscaping plants are toxic if ingested
• Fire ant mounds — treat the yard before children will be present
• Standing water — empty flower pot saucers, buckets, and any container that collects rainwater
• Garden chemicals — pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides must be locked away, and the yard must not have been recently treated with products unsafe for children
• Pet waste — if you have animals, the play area must be clean and inspected before each outdoor session

How Outdoor Play Fits Into Your Daily Schedule

Your daily schedule should account for outdoor play when weather permits, and your records should reflect the routine you use.

In Louisiana's subtropical climate, heat safety during summer months matters. Plan outdoor time for morning and late afternoon when temperatures are lower, and ensure drinking water is accessible during play. There is no state rule mandating specific outdoor hours, but inspectors will ask about your outdoor routine.

The Louisiana Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes a home inspection readiness checklist that covers every outdoor requirement — fencing, equipment, hazard removal, and surface materials — so you can audit your yard against the same criteria LDOE uses before your inspector arrives.

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