Whats your schools playground like for shade?

[charliecat]

Theres hardly any in dds playground. They have 4 tables with parasols...hoever, if the suns not directly above then the shade isnt on the people who are sitting at the table, they have one of those wooden structures with a tree growing through it that does create a bit of shade but thats maybe 5% of the playground.
Guidelines from ? say to stay out of the sun between 11-3.. thats lunch playtime out in the scorching heat. (Were in the south east)
Whats your playground like for shade and is there any bumf I could go to the school with saying I dont think its up to scratch?

Do you know, I have no idea. DD starts school in Sept, it's not something I'd even considered [blsuh], but it is a very good point, especially in current temps

There is nothing in my DS's nursery play ground, he is only there till 11.25 in the morning so it isn't too bad, but the kids that go for the afternoon session must be burnt to crisps if their parents aren't putting suncream/hats/etc on them - which I doubt most of them are.

DD's nursery playground is pretty good for shade, but I do slather her in a thick layer of SPF40 in the morning, she takes a sunhat in with her (nursery insist on it), and the nursery staff reapply the suncream to the kids before they go out for prolonged periods

I do suncream/hat. But her arms and legs are hanging out and being exposed. When shes at home I keep her in when its toasty hot. Or hang a sheet on the washing line and set up her play there.

nothing in ours either just one tree and a sort of small shelter big enough for 10 kids, sometimes the children stay in because it's too hot.

now we didn't worry about this when we were young did we?

they are not out sunning themselves for hours surely, how long is breaktime?

I put cream on my two if we are going to the park say, but don't bother if dd1 is at playgroup, they are not outside for long.

Don't go into school, bad idea imo.

xx

ahh, no staying in at dds school. The infants is fairy shady, and they have a huge sail thing which at least shows effort..even if the shade, again is not directly under the sail..its the juniors that is like a frying pan.

My DS's nursery teachers won't put cream on them, to be fair the sessions are only 2 and a half hours long, so if the parents would put sun cream on them before dropping them off, it shouldn't be a problem. It also doesn't help that the kids are out side pretty much most of the session in the sun, because - and I quote - "I love working here, I get to sit out in the sun all day" from one of the teachers.

I removed DD from a nursery because of this actually. The nursery worker had got all the kids in a patch of sun and sat them down to read a story and they were BAKING. The boys had peeled off thier tops, and there was shade either side of them...she wanted a suntan They could have sat in the shade. But she had them in the sun.

I am not too bothered because I think a bit of sun is good for them, and he isn't in the stongest sun of the day, but if he had have been one of the kids that go for the afternoon session, I would have been a lot more concerned for him.

we used to have a paddling pool at school, those were the days, and a pant tree to dry them!

Well (bad Mummy emoticon) I didn't put suncream on my boys all last summer at school and they never got burnt or even changed colour (they are both blond and blue-eyed). I use it if we are going to be outside all day or going to the park for an hour or longer.

They have got suncream on this week, because DS1 has stopped fighting so much about it.

Really good point charliecat. Playground at school where mine go is a suntrap, and although they have individual areas immediately outside classrooms with sunshades these are very small and obviously no use at lunch and play time when they're all racing about.

They have to wear sun hats if it's very hot and are encouraged to use sun block, but the teachers won't put it on for them, and if I do it in the morning surely will have worn off by lunch. I also nag them to drink loads of water. They get horribly tired if they don't.

There's a pergola at our school and next on thelist for funding is some fancy seating/shade provision. They know it's a problem and insist on hats and suncream for each child.

LOL @ 'Pant tree'

both boots and piz bruin do a sun cream that lasts all day (think the boots one lasts 6 hours and the other one 8 hours) so if you are worried about it not lasting, then you can get one of those

DD's school have a large canvas gazebo over the table & benches area on the playground so plenty of shade. I still put suncream on and always send her with a hat.

charliecat I think there's some info on the Cancer Research website about schools becoming Sunsafe Schools - maybe you could try that approach via your parent governors?

I think your concerns are very valid - lunchtime may not be long but it's at the hottest part of the day.

At DDs school they have 2 exposed playgrounds (one each for key Stage 1 & 2) but also have 2 gardens, one of which is wooded and very shady, the other has a wooden structure which offers some shade.

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The pictures are on a slide show but it's the blue one shown over the climbing frame & slide.

All I've been doing with DS is putting him on sun cream in a morning and sending in a hat.

I think the playground itself is not too bad but at lunchtime they go onto the field which is quite exposed. Also a nightmare for the hayfever sufferers like DS. But think we've got a handle on that with medication.

at nursery they have no shade but they tell you to smuther them in suncream and have hats galore if you forget to bring one. They're only out for 20 mins or so and can go back inside if too hot

DD is starting school in September and like at CC's there are a couple of bench tables with parasols. Watching the kids playing there though they mostly sit under the tables so shade is provided

So do none of you take kids to the park when it's sunny? Park playgrounds never have shade over the play equipment.

Put kids in really thin loose but long-sleeved, long-legged clothing - like people in hot countries do. DS has a selection of thin cotton Indian shirts.

I do think schools should think twice before sitting kids out in full sun for stories, etc, but for general normal playtime, I don't think they can be expected to shade the playground.