Is it normal for children to not be allowed in the playground if its even a tiny bit wet?

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DD is 7 and at the local school. She came home today telling me about all the moshi monster pictures and games she'd been looking at at on the internet at school. I asked why she was playing games at school and she said it was wet playtime so they werent allowed out.

Well, we are about 300 yards away from school and there was a light, and I mean LIGHT, shower at about midday. That was it. 10 minutes of drizzle, the sort that is like very fine mist.

So is this normal, for al the children to be kept in if there is even a tiny bit of rain? Their playtime doesn't even start until 12.30

No it's not normal l

I didn't think it could be! Surely they NEED to get outside and run around at lunchtime

I wonder if most of the kids didn't have a coat?

They're outside at DCs school in up to about medium rain.

Absolutely not normal.

outdoor play down to minus 20 here. between minus twenty and minus forty they have indoor play. below minus forty it is parental discretion as to whether you take them to school. occasionally the school shuts below minus forty if there are other circumstances which preclude opening, such as roads being blocked or heating broken, or too many school buses in ditches.

drizzle, you say?

Well ok, maybe some didn't have a coat. But it wasn't actually raining at the time they go outside - tere had just been a shower about 20 mins before.

And even in the rain, the children with appropriate clthing should get to go out surely?

Nope. At ds's school they all have Wellies and waterproof trousers to put on for rainy playtimes. That may be unusual though.

At the school im iin te children are outside in more than a shower but less than torrential rain.

Would anyone think it worth approaching school over?

Most schools loathe wet play and chuck the kids outside whenever they possibly can - they need that letting off steam time, and are hyper in the afternoons if they've been cooped up over lunch. I'd say something.

Its not the first time I have had a problem with the school letting them play on the internet to keep them occupied for one reason or another tbh.

Keep a diary and see if it develops as a pattern, then go in. Try to sort it out before it snows! My kids go to the only local school that allows snow play... all the others keep them indoors.

Dd3's old school was like this the HT had a total obsession with H and S. I did ask once whether the children all dying of heart conditions due to sedentary lifestyles was classed as a H and S risk.

It didnt go down well

I have a sneaking suspicion that DS's school is like this and keep them in if it's the least bit cold or damp. Maybe it's the teachers/assistants who don't want to get wet.

Not at DS's school. They are out in the drizzle and light rain. Coats or no coats.

Occasionally on a day of heavy showers they might go in and stay in even if the rain stops for a bit.

suebfg that is my suspicion!

I mean if it is properly chucking it down then I can see the sense in keeping them in as not all children with be equipped with the right clothing/footwear.

But - this was a light light light shower that ended before playtime started

Our HT always says "there is no unsuitable weather for outdoor play, only unsuitable clothing" - it's a line that gets trotted out throughout the schooling year. Which is fabulous and very sensible - however, the tiniest bit of rain and they have to stay indoors

No, we have them out in light rain with coats.
The problem is when you have a significant number of children without coats because the parents can't be arsed to send them with one, despite the school rule. The same parents who will screech blue murder if their sugarchild gets wet.
Then you have a limited number of staff to cover too many locations and so it's wet play for all.

Maybe I'm just hung up on my own school exerience, where the teachers had full waterproofs and we went out whatever, and I mean whatever, the weather
The DCs have sensible boots (they keep school shoes at school in their lockers to change into when they get there) and waterpoof everythings and when it is really wet, they walk to school in full waterproofs!

But on the other hand we had parents who removed their darlings from our school 3 weeks into term because made them play out in the rain!! All our reception kids have wellies in school, school provides all in one rain suits But this wasn't good enough, said family have now been to every primary in that local areas as there is always something they don't like. Schools are damned if they don't and damned if they don't.

Some people are just bonkers as conkers

It's prob due to inadequate clothing and lack of staff to split up inside and out

However I remember hating playing outside in winter!

I work at school at lunchtimes and the general idea is to allow the children outside for some fresh air, exercise, change of scenery and a light shower would not stop this. Having said that one of our playgrounds take a long time to dry out, so if there's been heavy rain in the morning then having children running around on a wet slippy surface becomes a safety issue.

Even in winter when it's only a couple of degress in the day, many parents send their children to school without coats (despite us suggesting they bring one in) - perhaps your school don't allow children out during rain as many children don't have coats and they don't want comeback for children sitting in damp clothes.

As mentioned, perhaps you could make a note of when wet play occurs and if you're concerned raise it with the Head.

Slight drizzle precludes play here, and they aren't allowed to play on the grass much of the time, too, even if it's a few days since last rain.