Coats and temperature

[Brickiscool]

At What temperature roughly would you think school/nursery (So aged 3-5 children) should be forced by their school teachers to wear a coat during playtimes?
AIBU to think it needs to get a hell of a lot colder than it is now, especially given that children this age run around a lot? Is it cruel to stop them going outside if they refuse a coat? How much harm can the cold actually do Vs the benefit of playground fun?

We let children decide when they need a coat. It would have to be dangerously cold for us to stop them playing unless they wore one.

Teachers can't do right for doing wrong can they 🤷‍♀️

Unless it was actually snowing or raining, I would think a 3-5 year old could decide for themselves if they needed a coat and whether to keep it on when running around

There is a bit of a difference between a 10am playtime in Edinburgh and a 10am playtime in Southampton due to temperature at the moment. I'd expect the former would be asking kids to wear coats but in the latter I imagine it was a little warm and sunny today. It was 3 degrees this morning on the school run in the West Midlands but was 16 degrees when I collected them in the afternoon. The youngest (3) had a thick coat and the eldest (5) wore tights and took just a waterproof. Wouldn't have phased me them playing outside without coats they do in our garden at home in similar temperatures in fairness.

What do you consider dangerously cold? And I'm not a teacher or a parent in this situation. I'm a TA who doesn't like what's going on.

A lot colder than today!

Temp is an early body autonomy lesson.

As someone who used to be a midday supervisor, we would make them wear a coat if it was winter (I'd say probably 5c ish, but you still get kids who would take coast off if running around). This time of year as long as its dry they wouldn't be made to wear one as especially here in the south its still warm enough. Even if cold in the mornings. School would insist all children where sent in with coast though.

We where the type of school who had them outside all the time unless it absolutely bucketed down though. As wet play is good for no one.

Is the child shivering, turning blue or likely to suffer frostbite? Is it raining heavily? Are they simultaneously complaining they are cold? If none of the above then I think it’s up to the child. What exactly is the risk if they don’t wear a coat, in September, in the U.K.? It won’t hurt them to learn what being a bit chilly feels like, especially in the context of a school where presumably their coat is available if they change their mind.

I'd never stop the children I teach or my own 2 year old going outside if they refused to put a coat on. I'd take it out though for when they get cold.

I'd probably want DS to be wearing a coat if it was snowing but I certainly don't think it's a hill that I'd die on as a parent and wouldn't expect a teacher/TA who is looking after 30 kids to do much about it.

It's September. It's not "dangerously cold" anywhere in the UK at present. Some boys in Scotland wear shorts to school year round, many kids don't wear coats even on the coldest days as they just spend the days running around.

Reading your OP again, is a teacher forcing the kids to wear a coat at the moment to play outside? And/or not letting them out if they won't put a coat on? If so, that's not great and I'd be unhappy about it as a parent.

Yes a child is not being allowed outside as they refuse a coat and is getting distressed. So I wondered what the general consensus was.

I think they should be allowed outside without a coat.

If it's not raining then yes, they should certainly be allowed to go out without a coat.

DD wore shorts all the way through primary and never wore a coat. School gave up after a while.

Made to take coat outside... yes
Made to wear... no.

Its not just temperature... wind, rain, cloud cover etc as well!

I think at that age they should be encouraged to take it outside with them so if they realise it's cold they can put it on

But not be made to stay in if they refuse. That's not helpful

I’m a teacher of 4/5 year olds in the NW, it was warmish and sunny today and lots of the children (and staff) were outside without coats on today. I typically don’t really start worrying about the children who don’t like wearing coats until after October half term unless it’s really hammering down with rain.