Outdoor Play Temperature ?

[blandino]

I am in Oklahoma and there is no set rule for the temperatures that are considered unsafe for children to play in. We must play outside unless weather poses a "significant health risk".

But I like to have an actual number that I won't go outside, when it is below. Last year I said 40 degrees, but I have read some states say 32 degrees. That seems far to cold to me. I was wondering how everyone else decided, and what your temp limits are ?!?

Also, has anyone run into the problem of having scheduled outdoor time and it is too hot/cold at that particular time of day to play outside - but may be an okay temp later on in the day. We have to have outside play, weather permitting - but I also don't think I should have to turn my schedule upside down to accommodate getting them outside. I was really just wondering if anyone had run into a licensing problem with that ?

[daycarediva]

Licensing doesn't regulate the temps here either. I do 32* but all of my kids are 2+.

In summer we go out before circle time/in the morning(before it warms up) and then after nap in the afternoon. In winter we go out after circle (to allow it to warm up) and after nap.

[SquirrellyMama]

For me it all depends on how it feels outside. I might take kids out when it is 0 degrees F, no wind but not at 32 degrees F if it is really windy that day. I imagine in OK you are probably going to take kids out in hotter weather than I will and I will go out in colder weather than you will. It all depends on what you are used to. People in Canada would never get out in the winter if they didn't go out below 32 degrees

I don't have a strict schedule so I'll wait for a different part of the day to take kids out if it is too hot/cold in the morning/afternoon. In the summer we might go out early in the am instead of the pm. In the winter it depends on when we hit our high. We may hit that 6am and the weather just keeps getting colder. On those days we just play it by ear.

Do what make sense to you. Although I do think kids need to be outside everyday if possible. Sometimes in the winter we are only outside for 10 minutes. It takes us longer to get ready than the amount of time we are out

K

[BumbleBee]

Not sure this will help you as I grew up where -20 F was not uncommon but here's what I do w/my littles.

15 F in the winter is my limit for how cold I will go. That being said, if it's sunshine & no wind then 15 F is fine. Other times it's 25 or 30 F and wind from the north-then I wouldn't take them out.

95 F in the summer is my limit for how hot I will go. Again, it depends on humidity & shade available-plus wind, sprinkler day, etc.

I have it written in my handbook that if the temperature is above 15 F with the wind chill or below 95 F with the heat index that parents should expect that we will go out. It doesn't mean that we will, but send everything as though we will.

As far as too hot/cold at scheduled outside time-I have a very relaxed schedule with extra time purposely built into it so I can move outside time around as needed. Generally it's too cold in the winter to go outside at the scheduled time so I move things up & go out just before lunch instead of after breakfast. In the summer it's too hot in the afternoon so we spend most of the morning outside and do "morning preschool" in the afternoon then skip outside time in the afternoon to do "afternoon preschool"

[itlw8]

In the summer we go out early before it gets too hot. In the spring and fall we get out 2x and in the winter we wait until afternoon unless late morning it is nice enough.

the temp well it depends on the wind chill. so 25 ???? 20 it just depends. I collected a bunch of snowpants in size 3 last year when we barely had a winter so we will be going out much more this year.

[MNMum]

I usually go out if it is 20 F with wind chill factored. I'm in MN, we have to have tough skin!

[spud912]

I'm in Arizona, so the upper limit is a lot higher and the lower limit doesn't really apply. I've found that 104 degrees in the summer is about as high as the kids can tolerate (and I mean the actual temperature of 104, not the high later in the day). On those days, it's usually triple digits by 9 am (and we literally can't go out sooner because of breakfast) and the highs are usually ~115 by mid afternoon. On the extreme days, we just cut down on the time spent outside (so 30-60 minutes for 90-100 degrees and 15-30 minutes for 100+ degrees, all depending on water activities).

In the "winter," we go outside every day for at least 45 minutes at a time, but usually for at least an hour. We move a lot of our activities outside since it is so nice (especially arts and crafts and sensory play). I am a wimp when it comes to cold temperatures, so I do cut down on the time outside if it is below 40 degrees to 30 minutes (which happened one time only). Generally, we just go outside later in the day. Most of the families here do not own gloves for their children, so usually the temperature of the hands is the first indicator to go inside. If their little hands do get chilly, we play with a sensory bin filled with warm water once we go inside.