Nursery Don’t Let Kids Outside Because it’s Cold

[FanofLeaves]

And I think it’s ridiculous.

its not a particularly spacious place as it is (inner city) but they have climbing equipment and bikes, a sandpit etc outside. ‘garden time’ is easily my son’s favourite part of the day. He’s 4 and just missed going to school this year so he’s feeling pretty frustrated as it is but he’s been livid this week that his outdoor fun has been curtailed.

Anyway, apparently it’s been ‘too cold’ this week to be outside even in a short burst. I pointed out that my son has mittens, a thick winter coat, woolly hat, boots and an extra jumper if needed, and one of the staff said that not all of the children do so it’s ’not very fair’ to have some out but not others. In fact they seemed a bit surprised that I wanted him to be outside in ‘these low temperatures’.

AIBU to think that a) it’s the staff not wanting to go out and be cold and b) they can’t be arsed to put hats/coats/gloves on the small children that can’t do it themselves.

Because I really can’t think of a valid reason not to let children outside, I know it’s been chilly and yeah I get staying in while it was raining for a bit yesterday but apart from that, we live in the south of England- and there’s no need to keep kids cooped up inside just because it happens to be winter.

Son only attends 3 days a week but they’re full days. When he’s with me we go out to the big parks, scoot everywhere, climb trees, out on waterproofs to be out in the puddles etc. I really notice a shift in his behaviour when he’s not had fresh air and active outdoor time. I don’t drive either so sometimes we just need to get from A to B whatever the weather.

Any other nurseries have this ridiculous policy? Would you agree with it if they did?

We had our 3-5 year olds out in free flow this week, sent some in after a while if we felt they’d been out a long time but just made sure they had coats on, gloves etc.

What a limited life you're setting your child up for.

I don't particularly care - it's not my child or my life - but if you post your opinions and views on a public forum, people are going to respond, especially when those views are rather extreme or unusual.

You cannot compare the UK with Scandinavia or central Europe because the children are equipped for the cold. Nurseries require thermal outdoor pants, waterproof boots, hats, scarves, gloves etc. Children are taught from young age how to dress themselves in all the outdoor layers.

The problem with the UK is that majority of families have not prepared below-freezing clothing, which is a huge expenditure for just 3-4 days of the year. It's almost certainly a liability issue as well because the nursery knows that some kids will go out ill-dressed, get cold and get sick. Then the parents will blame it on the nursery.

Ours are out all the time. It's currently around -7, but nice and sunny.
DD is 16 months old and she's wearing a snow suit and some winter boots and a hat. She's also got gloves but I'm not sure whether they are using those.
I teach at secondary and have to remind my "big children" that going out in just a t-shirt is probably not the best idea right now. Some will take a coat, dump it on the side...and then proceed to play basketball in a t-shirt. I'm just wrapped up warm when on duty.

Yeah, I did actually say in passing yesterday to another mum who has a child at the nursery that mine was going stir crazy through not being outside to play this week and she looked at me as if I was demented 🤣 and said ‘but it’s been too cold for them to be outside!!’

so I don’t know, perhaps I’m in a minority and the nursery were worried about parents complaining if their kids WERE still sent outside and not the other way round. There probably are plenty there that think being outside in the cold = getting ill whereas I see it more the other way- cooped up with lots of other people and being too warm indoors and you’re more likely to catch a sickness bug etc (actually feel a bit ill just thinking about it 😅)

I grew up in the countryside myself and being outside was just the norm. We had wellies and a waterproof but I don’t recall having full on snowsuits or anything like that back in the 90’s, although I’m glad they’re so widely available as winter wear for kids now!

This. I dreaded this time of year (more) when DS was smaller as it was asthma season and you got all the "well'ard" outdoors types trilling about puddle suits and building resistance. Not much good when you're in hospital hooked up to an oxygen mask. Luckily he outgrew it as he got older and although he still has an emergency inhaler it's been ages since he was last bad with it. I think keeping children and staff warm and dry is the sensible option in this weather and I say this as someone who mourns the end of "park after school" season.

Except it gets cold for much more than 3-4 days a year and you can buy all the items you listed quite easily and cheaply in a supermarket.

I'm generalising of course, but people in the UK seem to have absolutely no idea how to dress for any kind of weather - then they wonder why in summer they overheat and get burnt, and come home in winter soaking wet and freezing. It's a bit ridiculous, really.

If at all possible I would change nurseries, OP, you won’t get them to change. From previous comments it’s clear there are some parents who think this approach is fine- so let them use a nursery like this one. Our nursery was on a farm and they had the kids out in almost all weathers. They would always go for a walk/go to the woods for a good chunk of the morning (the rain never stopped them). The afternoon would be free flow, so kids could go outside and play on the climbing frames etc or they could be indoors at that point- of my 3 kids, 2 would be outside almost all the time by choice, my youngest stayed inside when she had the choice (but would always have had a few hours at least outside in the morning). They were VERY specific about the clothes you needed to send in- lots of layers, thick waterproofs, wellies, gloves, hats etc- there were constant reminders about these.

We had to move nurseries when my youngest was little, and she moved to one that was a lot smaller, and was free flow all day (which meant she rarely chose to go out unless it was summer! But at least the kids who loved being outside could be).

There are a huge range of different types of nursery out there, and all parents have different priorities- I had a friend who thought the farm nursery set up was awful, and her kids would have hated being outside so much, which is fine! But I’m with you, especially if your DS loves being outside, I’d move him if you can.

This sounds like my child's outdoor nursery in Scotland. They are outdoors 80% of the time every day and from 3 its 100% outdoor. Even napping outside in sleeping bags and lighting fires. All kids wear winter gear or the nursery has spares. There's an abundance of winter and ski wear on vinted. There's no excuse not to be taking children outside - there are so many health benefits as well as fun. I wouldnt send my child to a nursery that kept kids cooped up