The sun is shining and children cannot wait to get outside and play! Even beautiful
weather can create a few hazards, however, so it is a good idea to make sure everything
is looked over. As the temperatures increase, playground equipment may get hot. Direct
sun causes metal, rubber, and plastic to get hot enough to burn, even if it does not feel
that hot outside. It is a good idea to make sure slides are cool enough so that bare legs do not get burned. Even very little ones should always wear shoes on playgrounds, to protect tiny feet from burns from hot cement or playground surfaces. Children often enjoy being
helpers and assisting in filling up water bottles for each person to have outside. Don’t
forget yourself! Modeling proper hydration is important when the temperatures rise. The
National Association for the Education of Young Children has some helpful advice on
ways to practice sun safety, while still getting outside:
http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V4N5/Sun_safety.pdf
Many centers and schools have policies on when the temperature or air quality does and does not allow outside time. What does yours say?
