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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

When Is It Safe to Play Outside? Weather Considerations / Part 1

Watching the weather is part of the job for staff who work with children. Planning play outdoors, in a nearby park or as part of a field trip is part of the daily routine for educators. All educators know that they are responsible for protecting children’s health and safety while in the outdoor environment. Part 1 of this series looks at how to use wind chill and heat index charts to determine when to go outdoors. Part 2 of this series to be discussed in our next issue will look at outdoor air quality and children’s health.

In early childhood, our goal is to have children playing outdoors in the fresh air as often as weather permits. Children need the physical exercise and change of sensory stimulation that the great outdoors can offer. With the appropriate clothing children can go outside year round in most climates. In the summer children will need a hat and layers of lightweight long cotton clothing. In the winter warm jackets, pants, hats, mittens/gloves and boots are needed. If parents do not have the resources to purchase the variety of clothing needs for the children enrolled in your program, a short trip to the GoodWill or recycled clothing store can assist you in putting together the missing clothing needed.

Since young children have a greater body surface to weight ratio than adults they can overheat and also experience greater heat loss than adults. Water should be available in every type of outdoor experience so that the children do not dehydrate. Sunscreen should be provided year round. Look for non-toxic sunscreen with protection for both UVB and UVA rays. Younger children may need to wear layers of lightweight cotton to protect their skin in summer and every child should wear a hat to protect the face from the sun in summer and for warmth in the winter.

The following chart developed by the Child Care Weather Watch Grant at the Iowa Department of Public Health/Healthy Child Care Iowa shows when the wind chill factor and heat indexes are taken into consideration what are the safe temperatures for children to play outdoors. Wind chill factors look at the combination of strong winds and cold temperature. Heat index looks at the combination of relative humidity and the temperature.

The chart is colored coded with green for safe temperatures outdoors, caution meaning that you should shorten the time of outdoor play and red meaning danger, children should not be outdoors. These guidelines can help you to establish your own weather policies.

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