What happened to wet play?

[Stephthegreat]

I remember a lot of wet playtimes at school.It was chucking it down outside so we stayed in our classroom at break time and lunch.

DS is on his third chest infection (yes he’s prone) but even when it’s bucketing down the children have to play outside.Hes come home with jumper and pants still damp.

Don’t schools have wet play anymore?ds school just say it’s good for the children to go outside

I'm guessing they dont have enough staff to supervise kids in individual classrooms or something like that

I was at primary during the early 70's. Once you got to the top year (now Y6), the 'sensible ones' were promoted to be wet play prefects. It basically meant a pair of 10 year olds were allocated a classroom further down the school to 'supervise' for the whole of break or lunch. The occasional adult shoved their head round the door but otherwise it was down to us!

How times have changed

I work in a nursery and pre school and our children go outside whatever the weather! Even in the pouring rain (I don't agree with it when it's raining heavily) parents are advised to bring in waterproofs and wellies for their children so we put them on if supplied but if not then they go out however they care in! If I was the manager I would keep them inside in awful rain 😊

I have never known a school too send children out to break in rain (and I've worked in 6). Even if it's drizzling is wet play and in most schools that means board games/ drawing in the classroom. In my daughter's school they go in the hall and watch iPlayer.
The only time I send my dd in with her waterproofs is for forest school sessions.

Excuse typos. Phone types what it wants and I'm too lazy to proofread!

Ours go out in drizzle, anything likely to result in soggy children for the rest of the day and they come in. School have puddle suits - but only really enough for a couple of classes in one time when you factor in the various sizes needed (they're for use during forest school timeslots) and definitely not enough for everyone to use in one go. All the kids keep wellies in school though.

Our school would have no space to store wellies for all the children. And surely by the age of say 7 many children no longer own wellies?!? And definitely not waterproof trousers!

Haha. They do if they have a dog! Adults too.

It's important to teach children that fun isn't reserved only for days when the sun shines, when they play outside in the rain it teaches them resilience.

I have wellies! Mine are 5 and 3 but I imagine they’ll have wellies and waterproofs for a long time yet as we do a lot of dog walking etc.

Yes point taken about dog walkers!

Why would children over 7 not have wellies? Are they not a footwear essential in this country?

Dd goes to a small rural school so they are out in all but the worst weather. They do have to have wellies and waterproofs at school, also have indoor and outdoor PE kit so always something dry to change into if they inadvertently get soaked.
Personally I prefer it as dd goes stir crazy if she doesn't get plenty of fresh air and exercise, we are very much outdoorsy people.

That said there is a world of difference between playing out in weather appropriate gear and sending kids out with inadequate clothing.

Can you send him in with full waterproofs and wellies in future? Otherwise time to speak with the school about the impact it's having on his health. I would see if they have any suggestions on how to prevent situations where children are left sitting in damp clothes for the rest of the day. Hard to believe that they would knowingly allow this to happen.

ljdorothy not my DC. Mine are very active but actually don’t need wellies for bike riding, swimming, football or basketball which are our weekly activities

The dc ‘s (primary) school has wet play. Largrjy because most of their outside area is grass and very slippery when wet.,

Ds school all kids have to have wellies and waterproof boiler suits they keep at school and must be worn at all break times. The staff got tarpaulin out today and made a slip and slide for them. I bloody love Ds school!

He’s got a very good coat and hood but can’t zip it up instead.He ends going out with it unfastened.

Then this is the issue.
How old is he OP ?
Does he have a special need that means he doesn't have the dexterity to do up his coat ?

Most schools will send them out in drizzle - dc are that much better for a run around at playtime and lunchtime It is a nightmare trying to teach in the afternoon if they have been in all day. Most schools will generally make an exception for heavy rain though.

And surely by the age of say 7 many children no longer own wellies?!?

??? Why? This is a very strange post.

It's great for kids to be outside in wet weather as it teaches them resilience, and time outdoors is important for physical development, eyesight and healthy sleep patterns. And most kids love jumping in puddles!

In some Nordic countries, kids are regularly outside even in freezing cold weather. They just dress appropriately. The kids love it.

I don't do wellies personally (my fat calves don't oblige) but the kids have them - annoyingly both kids are the same shoe size so with school wellies and home wellies we've got bajillions of pairs in the same bloody shoe size.

As for coats - to be honest, if they can get them on it's no big deal really to just ask for a bit of help doing the zip. I tack the overlap flap of fabric back out of the way to make it a bit easier for dyspraxic DD2.

Other end of the scale, but we have indoor play if it is over 38C (or dusty)
In reality this means lunch time breaks from May to October, and first break in June and September too are all inside.
The kids are unbarable by the time they get home. They are fidgety and cant settle.
I'd say, where appropriate clothing can readily be put on (and a waterproof coat easily fits this discription), the kids should be outside for at least some of the break.

My children get wet play.

I grew up in 80s never had wet play - we did have some shelter plastic covers coming of parts of buildings and we'd huddle there in primary.

If he can't learn a zip can he do extra jumper and an over head long as possible anorak?

Our school have wet play if it's torrential but not for just normal Scottish weather.

My dd has a disability and I sometimes request indoor breaks if she's had a chest infection or if it's icy. The school have always been fine with it.

Maybe you could speak to the school explain your son has been ill and work out a plan.

kokeshi 7 year olds do not love jumping in puddles!

Hi OP, my dd gets sick very often and often is on antibiotics...I have found probiotics have helped, she had a good two month stretch where she wasn’t poorly after starting them. I bought the optibac children’s ones. Expensive so I tend to give them every other day

Really? The kids in our school must be very strange then. They love puddles, even the 8 year olds!

Rockford. This thirty-seven year old likes jumping in puddles! Admittedly we don't get them very often, but i will put my crocs on and splash with the kids.