Outdoor time-when is it too cold?

[Daycare123]

Hey Everyone!

Would really appreciate your input :)

All my dcks include my own child are all 18 months or under (there is one 2 year old).

I am curious as to what you all would consider, with this age group in mind to be too cold to be outside in these winter months?
Thanks you!

[jodaycare]

I don't go out if it is colder than -5 or if there is a windchill. This week will likely be an inside play week as the temps are supposed to be colder than -5 with a windchill in the middle teens and low twenties. My dcks are between 21mths and 4.5 years. I am not a winter person and the daycare parents know this. I have an inflatable bouncy slide that I set up in the playroom and the kids love it! I also have indoor riding toys that I bring out.

[daycarewhisperer]

we go out if it's 20 degrees Fahrenheit or over. In the summertime we go out if its under 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Momof4]

Daycare123 I'm not sure if you are in Canada, but my contract states:

 We will not go outdoors if the temperature goes down to minus 10 C degrees with the wind-chill factor. In this case it is understood that it is too cold for the children to play outdoors safely. In the summer we will not go outside if the humidity is extremely high to avoid breathing problems or heat exhaustion.
 In all cases I ask that the parents/guardians accept my judgment of the current weather conditions.

That last part about the parents trusting my judgment is the really important part. I can't stand the high humidity in the summer but if we get out right after breakfast at 9am for an hour at least it's a little better and we get our exercise. In the winter it's important to have a cutoff temp with the wind chill because I don't ever want any tiny fingers or toes with frostbite injuries.

[Daycare123]

Momof4- It is based on my judgement, but I would like to add something to my contract so parents have a general guide, especially in the winter. I am in Canada :) Thanks for the info-I was thinking below -5 would be an idoor day as weel

[Inspired by Reggio]

I am -10C in the winter as well ... so we attempt to go outside daily up to -10C and than adjust the 'length' of time outside based on wind chill and how children are coping with the time outside ~ any non mobile children I might have in attendance get bundled up extra with blankets and so forth and put on the sled or stroller or what not to allow the mobile children who can cope a chance to get some physical exercise.

In the summer I am we go outside daily unless there is a 'heat / smog' advisory issued for the area that states children should not go out AT ALL ~ if there is an advisory that says outside time should be 'limited' than we go outside and stay in the shade and engage in water play and than come back in early before the sun gets fully up and so forth.

If it helps when I worked in centre care we had the following Winter guidelines based on the assumption children are PROPERLY DRESSED and than temperature tolerance increased the more active it was felt a child could keep themselves outside to stay 'warm' so to speak ~ if it helps I worked in Southern Ontario at the time ... so if the age groups were 'mixed' for some reason you went with the temperature of the youngest ones in the room

-6C for non mobile infants (aka unable to crawl or walk)
-10C for children mobile but under 30 months
-15C preschoolers 30 months and over
-20 C for children who are over 6 years

[DisneyPrincess]

I'm exactly like jodaycare, so not a winter girl so I have no problems not going outside if it's too cold. Past week I made some good efforts... But this coming week, no way !

[Crayola kiddies]

I am not a winter person but I do try to take my crew out daily even if its just for 15-20 mins .... Last winter my crew was between the ages of 21 months and 2.5 and all boys so they loved it......this year however is a different story .... I have one non walker and when you put snow pants on him he becomes a non crawling screamer and then I have a new walker so it makes for very unpleasant outdoor time so this year I am staying in once its below -10

[Bookworm]

I'm -10 with the windchill too. I have a non-walker, and the rest of the kids are 2 and under. They also (with the exception of my children) hate being outside in the cold unless I am pulling them in the wagon. They cry if they get snow on them or if they fall over. I think the only time they get outdoor play is when they are at daycare.

[apples and bananas]

I hate the winter and I hate the cold. This week is an indoor week for us. I don't have it in my policies but I let all clients know right from the beginning that I hate the cold. We will spend all day outside in the spring and fall and most of the summer depending on humidity, but in the winter I hybernate! I tend to not bother if the "feels like" is anywhere around -5 or lower. I find it's just too cold for the little ones.

Parents bring their snow pants on days like today and I just say "great, you brought snow pants. We're going to see how it feels outside in a little bit and maybe try for a few min."

[monkeymama]

We go outside every day because we have to take my daughter to the bus stop. It was -13 today, I bundled them all up, put the wind protector on my stroller and walked as briskly as i could! Anything beyond that, we are outside after bus drop off for atleast 30-60 mins. The fresh air is good for them and me.

[sunnydays]

We don't play outside if it is colder than -12 with the wind chill. However, we have to go to the bus stop every day to take my son to his school bus. Today it was -30 with the windchill!!!! I am wondering, those of you that do school or schoolbus runs, do you ever cancel the bus run if it is that cold? We are only out for about 10-15 minutes max and I bundle the kids (working on getting parents to pack better clothing to layer). We are forecast for -25 or colder (with windchill) for the entire week and I don't want my son to miss school every time it is cold. What do others do?

[playfelt]

I used to tuck a couple hot water botles into the wagon on school run days. I also used to put a sleeping bag in the bottom of the wagon and up the sides and a quilt on top of them and of course packed in like sardines didn't hurt either in winter. I had a wind cover but it wasn't realiable. Wind covers were not things that were used back then.

Put vaseline on their faces - not lotion - straight vaseline, use scarves over the mouths to help with breathing the cold air.

Make sure there are as many layers under their bums as on top of them. I remember a few instances of kids getting frostbite one really bad year from moms putting kids into a stroller and then a blanket on them only to find out when they got home their back/butt, back of the legs that had dangled down had signs of frostbite.

I did cancel school runs if it got past -30 and yes that often meant a few days in a row but thought the health of everyone including me was more important than walking to the school - no bussing for under 2 kilometers back then so we walked - not doing 4 trips of that with a wagon of 5. So do not miss the school runs.

[sunnydays]

Playfetl...I use a Bye Bye Buggy so I can't really put anything under them...maybe I could tuck blankets into the seatbelts or something. We only have to go two blocks, so if you are dressed well, it isn't bad. My two kids were not too cold as they have good jackets, hats, and layers underneath. I have asked parents for scarves/neckwarmers and sweaters for under jackets. It just astounds me how parents dress kids in extreme weather as if it were a summer day (I had one show up in a shortsleeve T-Shirt today!!!!). I use my kids clothes when necessary as I won't let the kids suffer for their parents lack of thought.