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?

I would be very angry if my child were having to do what another parent wanted for their child and had changed what you as the nursery was doing previously

I thought it was a thread about cold weather and going out below freezing!
I would be highly annoyed if my DC was in a nursery where a parent put a stop to going outdoors at 15 degrees!! I think they should be out all weathers-obviously shorter if really cold.

When my DCs were at (state) nursery (ie nursery school, rather than childcare nursery), the decision on whether or not to play outside, whatever the weather, was child-led. There just had to be a teacher accompanying them, so not much fun for the teacher if the child wanted to be out in the pouring rain!

15 is fine and thats not really cold is it?! I would be happy with my child playing outside at all british temps as long as they were wrapped up in appropriate clothing. most important thing is getting out and having fun

out in almost all weathers is great. wellies and waterproofs in the rain, sun hats in the summer and so on.

I'd be cross if a parent insisted that kids stayed inside

15 degrees, you dont need a coat if running around just jumper/ cardigan
at 15 degrees might wear thin coat if just standing watching

but i remeber being in seville in march it was about 17 and all locals were saying it was cold ie not 30, but i thought it was t shirt weather but most locals did have jackets or thick jumpers, it does probably take a while to acclimatise, but no reason for everyone else to have to stay in

frankly in Scotland we would never go out if 15C was considered 'cold.'

FGS children today with the endless suncream, hats, gloves, coats etc etc

it's normal to feel a bit cold on a cold day. It's normal to have to run around to keep warm, it's normal to have cold hands and fingers.

Do was raised in Scotland and had to wear shorts all year round. His high school had corridors with no windows! They were open to the elements, snow used to blow into the classroom when they went in.

Is this a joke?

In my husband's country, the children play in the snow all the time (usually for a limited amount of time, say an hout, then come in and get warm).

They also learn to ski from age 4 upwards, tiny toddlers, with their big snow-suits on.

Again, I have to assume this is some type of joke.

na Ploom, , the german and swiss mums are careful about wrapping up, esp still wearing hats pretty much all year long - strong belief in keeping ears covered, but they also send them out.

As we were always told in switzerland, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.

I would be furious if my kid was prevented from playing outside cos 1 parent had made a complaint, esp when it's so obviously ridiculous. I would def counter-complain. Too much molly coddling these days!

Well the weather was glorious today. One child in a coat only, the rest dressed the same outside as in, apart from shoes - same temperature indoors and out! Children were allowed outside for just under 45 minutes.

A parent complained about their child suddenly being kept inside. There might have been more.

My friend spent the day sunbathing at an outdoor pool at a spa, to give you an idea of the heat. It feels like Summer, I really don't get it.

Me either. Glad they're out beyond their 30min limit, let's hope they keep extending it. All day would be good

Surely with the EYFS's emphasis on free flow indoor/outdoor play this policy is unworkable and will get the nursery marked down at their OFSTED

(says me who had the children out from 9:15 until about 4 today)

i think i would probably play the eyfs/ofsted card and say that you HAVE to allow the children to have free access to outside ( where available) and that if that particular parent doesnt want their child to do that then she'll have to explain to her child that they need to come inside when told by a member of staff. Its not fair for the other children to have their right to free outside access taken away just because one parent thinks its too cold for their child.
And if Ofsted come in and observe that the children arem't haven free acess that will go against you.

In Norway where we live kids under 3 are kept in if temperature is below -10.
-15 for older kids. They are outside for several hours at a time.

If you kept kids in at temperatures below 15 degrees, my kids would be inside for about 10-11 months of the year.

Time to get a grip I think...

Think of all the Vitamin D they are missing out on if being kept inside more

I think for DS's old nursery it would be Siberia/South Pole cold.

But even I think 15oC is definitely not cold enough.