How cold is too cold for under 5s to play outside

[houches]

Hi there, just a bit of debate which could help me decide if I think I am being unreasonable about something.....

How cold would it have to be for you to ask school / nursery to keep your 3 or 4 year old inside?

Would you be happy for your child to be playing outside for 2 hours in the afternoon when the temperature is 15 degrees C, with variable sunny / cloudy weather, no rain, no wind? The children would have their coats on and be appropriately. They would also be running around the whole of this time in a large garden. Or would you say this temperature is too cold to play out? Or if it is not too cold, at what point would you say it would get too cold?

15 degrees is more than warm enough.

DS is 2 and has been loving the weather this last week as he has been spending ages playing outside its not got close to 15 degrees but he has his coat on and so is fine.

The only reason I limit playing when it gets cold is because it triggers his asthma otherwise he would be out in all weathers

I would say -30C (risk of frostbite to exposed skin). Anything warmer is fine assuming kids are correctly dressed.

DS (18mo) happily spent all afternoon outside in -15C in January in the Alps.

I've seen 4-5 year olds walking to school and happily playing out in -20C in Finland.

Lovely here, about 15c or so. No problem in letting them walk home at gone 5pm without coats.

Having seen how much mine loved full outdoors sessions (not in UK) for 2-3 hours at a time at minus 15, it wouldn't occur to me to ask for them to be kept in.

It's just a case of proper clothing: and staff who are alert to signs on distress and who will take in children whether too cold in winter, too hot in summer, or just having an off day for some random reason; and who will then deal well with whatever the issue might be.

Its never cold enough in this country to stop them going outside providing they are wearing the right clothes.

Ds was walking around in just a long sleeved t shirt today.

15c is warm. Probably warmer than my house :o

Seriously, I thought you were talking minus 15. I'd take precautions to avoid frostbite and hypothermia if it's much below freezing but even at -20 to -30, kids in Scandinavia play outside and walk to school. At that temperature, they probably wouldn't stay out for two hours though.

no temperature is too cold as long as appropriatly dressed.

When I read the title I thought you were going to be talking about zero type temperatures but you obviously mean weather like today.

Not sure if it's you that thinks its too cold or the nursery? But mine would play out for that long, even if it's snowing.

Why are you asking?

At my children's school in nursery and reception the children have open access to outdoor play the only time this is not the case is when it is snowy/icy or raining and even then they do go outside but just with Wellies on and with more supervision I.e the whole class and all four teachers go outside. I don't really mind my children going outside in any weather, its not the weather/ temperature that's inappropriate it is the clothing, children will happily go out sledging in the snow for hours on end. That said I would probably not want them to be FORCED outside for two hours without the option if going inside if they were too cold / bored.

yy Milly, choice is key, the child should be able to choose

It's not cold at all. It was about 12 degrees here in London today and DD1 was playing happily for almost two hours. I agree if they are appropriately dressed and running around, it should be fine. DD1 has even asked to take off her jacket at this temperature!

15 is warm, positively balmy

15 degrees is positively balmy!

Not too cold till below freezing although I would use the windchill adjusted temp. I would imagine the vast majority of parents dress kids in layers with hat, scarf & gloves to complement a sturdy coat & boots.

15 degrees is an acceptable beach day here (NI), it was 10 today and my 4 year old played outside in a t-shirt, jumper and tunic for about 2 hours after school.

one person complained it was too cold, now all the children are only allowed out for 30 minutes. I took a thermometer outside afterwards and it was 15 degrees C, so earlier in the afternoon it would have been even warmer. So then I watched people in the street passing with no coats, some in shorts and t shirts, but no 15 degrees is too cold and 2 hours too long for under 5s to be outside.

What a strange question - it's March so mild (unless you are not in the UK)

However, appropriate clothing for weather..

Kids play in Lapland at -26 for a few hours at a time (well mine did unless they are completely unusual)

5 year old thought icicle snot was amazing!

We need more info OP, come back!

At -19 earlier this year, my kids were crying with the cold. That was too cold (for them!!). At 15, they are usually taking off their tops and looking for the paddling pool!!

Sorry x-post. That sounds daft!

DD has been playing in the garden in her vest and pants in the last week. I failed miserably to persuade / force her to get dressed and she didn't get cold and prove me right .

As long as they're running around, allowed access to a coat and not forced to stay outside then 15 degrees is fine. They wouldn't even need a coat at that temp I reckon.

Nursery let the children play out in the snow. They are free to come and go though.

DS has been in the garden from 10.30-4.30 today in long trousers, vest and double t shirt.

School have requested more cold/wet weather gear than you can imagine and I fully expect the kids to use it.

I'm of the view it's rarely to extreme if you're dressed appropriately. With the exception of drizzle and torrential rain.

Depending on appropriate clothing and some level of activity, ten it would have to be extremely cold. My DD used to play out at nursery in her snowsuit, up on Saddleworth moor in serious windchill and was fine.

There is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing.

Surely the children should be allowed to play out for as long as they want to. If they're happy and supervising staff are happy that the children are not too cold (or too hot) then there's no problem. 30 minutes doesn't seem long enough to me, especially if they're playing on cars or in the sand pit.

+15? Centrigrade? No rain? No wind?

And the issue is where??

The person who complained is BU. Or does not have enough clothes for their child. Or does not appreciate that the dangers of hypothermia at such balmy temperatures is negligable compared to the dangers of young children not playing outside enough!

FFS.