Here at Grace Village Early Learning Centre, we love the feeling of cool prickly grass in the shade, the soft sun-warmed grass, the gritty concrete path, the stones that prick …

Here at Grace Village Early Learning Centre, we love the feeling of cool prickly grass in the shade, the soft sun-warmed grass, the gritty concrete path, the stones that prick our toes, splashing in puddles, expanding and bending our toes to grip as we run fast.

It is our barefoot sensory feast and would be missed if we had our shoes on.  These are the many reasons behind why we have a barefoot policy.

Grace Village’s barefoot policy

There is so much going on in our babies’ and toddlers’ feet that actually help them develop physically, emotionally and even psychologically.

Our ‘no shoes’ policy in all our indoor spaces supports our Reggio Emilia Approach.

We believe there is a place for shoes in your child’s everyday life, but if you intentionally ensure time is spent without shoes, you are creating ample opportunities to expand and enhance children’s development.

No shoes are worn into our Tiny Humans room (0-1) so that children can explore and play on the floor. Everyone (and we mean everyone!) entering the room must remove their shoes to give peace of mind, knowing that it is a clean, safe place to crawl and move around.

Children are given the opportunity to play barefoot inside and outside with both play spaces fitted with the highest quality synthetic grass.  This surface provides a cushiony place to land for those who are still unsteady on their feet, and a safe place to play for those of us who are just learning to crawl and walk.

Gumboots can be worn outside and depending on the play experience and if it is safe, each child has the choice to remove their gumboots or are encouraged by the educator.

We recommend everyone instil the simple practice of allowing your children to play in bare feet as it has many benefits for them. So, lose the shoes and let the thousands of nerves in our feet provide an amazing sensory experience for everyone, not just our children!