or overly precious re: playing in the rain?

[ilythia]

We live in the wettest city in the UK (literally), rain is not an unusual occurrence and today was no different.

DD1 went into school with her thick waterproof coat, hat, scarf and gloves and wellies as usual (she is reception)
She has just told me that because it was raining and not everybody had wellies they all stayed in and watched Toy Story 3. Now, I can believe this (based on former times when the chilodren have needed to be kept quiet...dvd goes on in the hall) but am veyr that her morning play, lunchbreak AND afternoon play she didn't get to go outside but was in the infants hall with the rest of nursery, reception and year 1 and 2.
Juniors apparetnyl got to go outside but they have a different playground, so wouldn't expect them to let them mix but surely they could have let some children out? She has basically had no fresh air apart from walking to and from school.

Am I being precious? I am not happy she didn't get to go out even for a bit, it was only spitting through lunchtime (I was a mile away at uni)

[FrequentNutter]

The majority of schools in the south east when it is wet play do not let the children out.

Think of the mess on the school floors, bringing in water on shoes that could cause others to slip, it's dangerous at the least.

[LadyBiscuit]

No I don't think you're being precious - just because some children don't have appropriate clothing (and why not? the school should make sure they bring some surely) the rest aren't allowed out. Sounds to me as if the teachers didn't want to go out in the rain

[Catnao]

I don't think you are being unreasonable, but at our school I sometimes think it has gone a bit too far the other way - we send 'em out unless it is practically a monsoon/playground is being considered as setting for Dancing on Ice...

[mutznutz]

Poor thing must have been going stir crazy...especially when you think of how much energy they have.

[defineme]

I know what you mean, but I also would feel sad for kids watching others go out to play just because they had forgetful parents who hadn't brought them in wellies.

Our foundation class and old preschool had huge bags of wellies/gloves/some coats for these situations. They were collected from parents. The parents with older/more than 1 child will have lots of wellies to donate.

In yr 1 we were asked to leave a pair of wellies in a bag on their peg just like the pe bag.

[mutznutz]

They don't even need wellies if they're supervised properly and told not to jump in puddles. I don't think my kids have ever brought wellies to school in their lives.

Probably far more likely they've got a health and safety issue with wet floors.

[ANTagony]

YANBU. I live in an area with a lot of rain and the kids go out come rain or shine. After a spell outside, typically 15mins, if its really heavy they have the option of playing in. They do have covered areas outside though.


Its a lovely local school and if their socks and shoes get too wet they're all lined up on the chunky victorian radiators to dry out and the kids put on their gym shoes or spare socks and slippers from the school spares box.

[thefurryone]

Depends on how heavy the rain was at the time, when I was at primary school many many moon ago we used to have wet playtime even if we had appropriate coats etc because it isn't nice getting soaked and then having to sit in class room wet all afternoon.

[defineme]

On the other hand- Dtwin 1 when asked his favourite thing at school said maths.
Dtwinn 2 said wet play cos she gets to draw

[ilythia]

Oh, mixed opinions then!
They do have a stash of wellies, all our spares are there, and they are asked to have raincoats and wellies at school all the time for 'trips to the park' or other bad weather.

WHat gets me is it is perfectly normal for it to rain like this every day for weeks, maybe not all day, but a good portion of it, so if they are keeping them in, then it sets a bad presedent.

Am considering whether to call the school and check she was right, or whether to leave it, but I want her to have a chance to play outside!

[Pesha]

I thought there were regulations set by Ofsted about outdoor play. I know CMs and playschools/nurseries etc have to let them have outside playtime every day unless the weather is really bad. I thought this covered reception as well as they are still EYFS, if not all primary?

[strandednomore]

That's strange, dd1 stayed in and watched Toy Story 3 instead of going out in the rain today. Either it's a popular choice at the moment or they are at the same school (she is also in reception). Hmmmmm.

[ilythia]

Do you live somewhere where it rains all the time?

Is it a requirement? I would be interested to know if it is tbh.

[clam]

I would say "pick your battles."

(even though I speak as a teacher who gets infuriated with the number of kids who turn up each day with inappropriate dress/no PE kit/ forgotten homework etc)

[strandednomore]

Ilythia - no we had quite a lot of snow before Christmas and a few sunny days since so it certainly doesn't rain all the time. We are in the South West but not in Wales...

[UniS]

It rains a lot where I live- the school badge even has a rain cloud on- DS said they had indoor play today and watched oconauts or played in Y1. It was PELTING It down all day, so I'm OK about it today.
He was drenched ( as was I , my waterproof is failing under pressure ) by time we had walked 15 mins home.
Last time I was at school at lunchtime the MTAs made the call for indoor play after 20 mins of drizzle got heavier. I believe the MTAs prefer outdoor play as then you are not supervising a large number of kids in a classroom on your own.

[stleger]

Where is the wettest city in the UK? I'm in the wettest city in Ireland (Cork), we could be twinned. We have many precious parents who think their kids will dissolve if they get wet, mine are proof that they don't.

[A1980]

They never let us out in the rain when I was a child. I still remember the big boxes of old comics they brought out for us to read in class instead.

[strandednomore]

Aaah I have just googled the wettest city in the UK (yes I am bored!) and it's not us. Apparently it is Swansea.

[Ineedalife]

Dd3's school never go out in the rain!! It drives me bonkers. We walk to school whatever the weather, telling her it's ok to go out in the rain and then they keep them in all day saying its a health and safety issue.

Then we have wild child at home for the evening.

[thisisyesterday]

i would be supremely pissed off at that!

at ds1's school if the weather is bad you go out to play if you have suitable clothing. if not, you stay in.
simple as!

if they do keep the entire class in because it's torrential rain or something then they play games in the hall, not sit and watch bloody DVDs!!!!

[NormalityBites]

DD's school has yet to declare a wet play time (or close because of snow) and she's been there a year.

And she often comes back caked in mud from the adventure playground or with filthy fingernails from digging on the farm.

When the snow falls the whole school pours out the make massive 10ft snowmen that last months.

YANBU. They need outside play!

[stleger]

That makes sense - Swansea gets Cork's weather when we are finished with it! I like Swansea,we spent a very wet week there!

[ScotlandR]

YANBU!

I'd be FUMING if DD was encouraged to sit on her backside ALL day like that! Indoors sat down doing work or indoors sat down watching a film... How cruel!

FWIW, when I was a kid if it was thunderstorming heavily, we'd take our clothes off and go dance in it.

Can you not leave a pair of wellies AT school with DC's name on so that she can ALWAYS go out?

[ScotlandR]

Also, to this day my mother tells me "you're not made of sugar, you won't melt"

Obviously, I have strongly suspected for a long time that I AM made of sugar and MIGHT melt, but so far she seems to be correct.