Many school districts understand the importance of getting kids outside to play and let loose. This is good for their health and their minds. However, if the weather is too hot or too cold outside, recess is often denied. So, how cold is too cold for recess? Let’s take a closer look at how schools make this determination.
School Districts And Temperature Standards
Each school district across the country has their own temperature standards. The reason why each district has their own unique standard has to do with their location. Schools that are located in a warmer climate will have a different standard than schools situated in a colder region. Each district has to take many considerations into account before making a decision. The school district’s main hub will advise schools if they should cancel or not. Also, many independent schools can also make their own decisions about this issue.
Sof’Fall works hard to make sure that your children have a safe place to play. Playground safety is important because getting outside and playing is so important for our children’s learning.
considerations for cancelling recess in the cold weather?
Schools will evaluate many things before calling off recess when it’s cold. First, they’ll consider if the air temperature. If it is too cold outside to begin with, they will call recess off. Most schools that experience cold or extreme cold climates will cancel recess when the temperature is at 32 degrees. The 32-degree marker is the freezing point. This is when most people can start to develop frostbite. The risk of frostbite and hypothermia for children increases at this age. Since schools are always concerned about a child’s safety, they will cautiously send their children out in the chilly weather.
Wind Chill
The wind chill will also factor into a school’s decision to send kids out to recess. When the wind blows on a cold day, it could easily cause the temperature to drop to an unsafe level. They know that blowing wind chills will cause kids to lose their body heat at a faster rate. Allowing kids to run and fall onto a rough playground surface could be similar to kids falling on a hard, rocky surface. Safe playground surfacing is very important in cold weather. Soft playground equipment is also considered for its ability to hold up in cold weather conditions.
Other Considerations For A Cold Recess
Schools will also think about things such as the condition of the playground area and how it will impact kids. A playground surface will usually be freezing and very hard when it’s cold outside. Even soft playground material will also be hardened by cold weather. Freezing temperatures do impact soft playground surfaces because most of it is made of metal. Even if the equipment is made of soft playground material such as rubber, foam or plastic; the cold can make it hard. If the temperatures are really freezing outside, a child’s skin could even stick to some of the material. So, schools also consider safe playground surfacing and equipment before sending kids out in the cold
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