When is it to cold to let your children play outside?
By mammamuh
@mammamuh (582)
Sweden
February 11, 2009 10:29am CST
When I read another discussion here at myLot i came over a thing I started to think about.
One writer did write that is was to cold to let the child play outside and said that the parent made a wrong choise letting the child be outside. It was bad parenting to do so.
So I do wonder - when is it to cold for children to be playing outside?My strong opinion is that it's seldom to cold to play outside at all. With the right clothes for the weather it's almost always a good thing to be outside during the day. Especially since we need the daylight to produce vitamin D.
I let my children be playing outside almost every day. When it's -40F/ -40C they stay inside, but when it's -5F/-20F is okay to be outside for an hour or more.
4 people like this
7 responses
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
12 Feb 09
There are lots of things that go into the decision whether it's too cold.
How used to the cold temperatures is your child? Someone who is not used to temperatures below freezing will not tolerate temps below 0F very well.
How windy is it? A cold day is a lot more tolerable if there is no wind. 0F with no wind is better than 10F and very windy.
How old is the child? A younger child is generally smaller, and has a harder time regulating body temperature. Smaller bodies lose heat faster, so they can not stay out in very cold weather as long as older, bigger children can.
How well prepared are you? With proper clothing you can go out in colder temperatures, but not just any coat and boots will do in extreme weather. They have to be made specially to withstand very cold temperatures.
My rule of thumb is, if it hurts to breathe, it's too cold. If I am freezing, my son probably is too, and we don't go out. There has only been about a week this year when we didn't go out at all. It was below zero and very windy, and that is too cold. Instead, we move some things around and make room to get very active in the house so we get some exercise. It only takes about 10 minutes a day in the sun to get enough vitamin D, so even a short car ride will be enough. Missing a few days outside is not that big a deal.
2 people like this
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I tend to agree with a lot that you have to say here. I have a little boy that is pretty small in stature. Therefore he probably feels the cold faster than others. I would not really want him out for too long. Especially if there is wind. Of course I would have him dressed for the weather but then again I could have some activity going on in the house for him to do.
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
13 Feb 09
I agree, that 20 or even 0F is fine, but I live in a cold climate. For those who live in a warmer climate, where the average winter temperature is 40F, they would not be used to the cold and would not tolerate it as well. It would be too cold for them to spend more than a few minutes out if it were 0F or colder. Since it doesn't get that cold for them very often, they wouldn't miss many days outside.
I'm all for children spending time outside- and adults too. But all day in all weather seems too much. Even animals take shelter when it is too cold, rainy or too hot. There's something to be said for spending a little time inside too.
1 person likes this
@mammamuh (582)
• Sweden
13 Feb 09
Of couse it is some factors playing part in the whole thing.
I still have to say that if we would go by 0F or even 20F as some say - we would be locked inside our home for months.
My older kids attended an outside daycare where they spent all day outside in all weather - here all children (almost) sleaps outside taking their naps both at home and at daycare - I guess it's a other mentality when it comes to cold.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
11 Feb 09
When my boys were younger thy played outside when it was prett cold. I justmade sure they were dressed for it. If I could tolerate it then I figured they could. Although their endurance was a little longer than mine! LOL
2 people like this
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I do have a five year old and where we are living in does not get real cold too much. But if it does he usually does not go out too much. We don't even get much snow here in Alabama. Things might be different if he could play in the snow.
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Well I don't have any kids but I watch my sister a lot. I let her go outside and play as long as it is not extremely cold outside, and as long as she wears the right clothing. She has to always wear a coat when it is cold, and depending on how cold maybe gloves and a hat. If it is extremely cold outside then I will let one of her friends come inside and play with her.
She needs time to go outside and play, it's good to be outside and get fresh air. I don't think it is good to be stuck in the house all the time. I should go outside more often myself, it is really nice outside so I might go outside for a little bit today but I am not sure yet if I am going to. I am going to try and go outside for a while.
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Considering my son gets sick alot i try not to let him play outside if i cant tolerate it. I can tolerate some cold but if its real cold or real windy i may not allow him out side. I do like him to have out side play time though.
2 people like this
@mammamuh (582)
• Sweden
12 Feb 09
Thank you for answering. Herethe belief is that children that spends a lot of time outside don't get as sick as the ones staying more inside.
Our babies sleeps outside all year both when that are 5-6 months and up until they stop taking naps.
Daycare and schools have the policy that all children need to be outside during the day and I think it's good especially during the winter for the vitamin D.
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
11 Feb 09
We took my son and daughter out a few times to go sledding this winter. I think it's good for them to be exposed slightly to the elements to help them build their immune system. No yes, if it is 40 below I wouldn't let them out, but reasonable temperatures in the day time are fine.
Think back to when we were kids. We'd stay out in the winter until the sun went down building snow forts and our fingers were frozen. We turned out ok.
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