The Head Start Body Start Play Space Assessment is designed to assist Head Start and other early childhood educators in assessing the quality of outdoor play spaces for children ages 3-5. This tool helps to identify the strengths and needs of an existing play space, and serves as a basis for setting priorities and planning enhancements and improvements. Directors, managers, and educators can also use this tool to help plan and design a new play space.

This tool is best completed during a walk-through of a play space. For each of the eleven categories in the left-hand column, consider the extent to which a play space meets the given criteria. Score the play space using the rating scale below found in the center column. Circle the number that best reflects the present state of the play space. Use the right hand column to make additional comments, such as strengths, areas for improvement, high or low priority, ideas, etc. 

Note: If you are using this tool to help plan a new play space, simply ignore the ratings scale column. This tool can be completed by teaching teams, parents and administrators.

Last Updated: February 14, 2024