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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Wisconsin - When is it too Cold to Go Outside?
Nicole 02:40 PM 01-20-2013
Hi there, my question is; can 3 year olds go out side when it's a flat zero degrees outside in Wisconsin? I have the chart with the warning but just want to hear the exact temp we can't go outside at. Thanks, Nicole
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mbullette 02:51 PM 01-20-2013
I am in Wisconsin also and this is just way to cold. I am not sure the exact temp but my kids are not going outside until it warms back up. I do not take my kids outside unless its 32 or higher. I have infants and will not take them out when its below 32.

Stay in and keep warm!!!
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Michael 02:54 PM 01-20-2013
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/l.../dcf_p_203.pdf
(13m) “Hazard” means a potential source of harm that can jeopardize the health, safety or wellbeing
of a child in care.
(14) “HealthCheck provider” means a provider of health assessment and evaluation services
eligible to be certified under s. DHS 105.37(1)(a).
(14m) “Household member” means any person who resides, or is expected to reside, at the
family child care center and who has or may have direct contact with a child in the care of the center,
whether or not related to the licensee.
(15) “Inclement weather” means stormy or severe weather such as any of the following:
(a) Heavy rain.
(b) Temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
(c) Wind chills of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children age 2 and above.
(d) Wind chills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children under age 2.
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kitykids3 03:25 PM 01-20-2013
Licensing says for kids above age 2 we can go out 0 degrees. For kids under 2 it has to be 20 degrees.
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Blackcat31 03:38 PM 01-20-2013
Originally Posted by mbullette:
I am in Wisconsin also and this is just way to cold. I am not sure the exact temp but my kids are not going outside until it warms back up. I do not take my kids outside unless its 32 or higher. I have infants and will not take them out when its below 32.

Stay in and keep warm!!!
I am in MN and I take my kiddos outside daily. Including my infants.

Obviously, if it is really super cold (according to MN weather) we stay in but if I used 32 degrees as a cut off temp to not go outside, we would be inside from October until May.

Friday it was 15 degrees outside and we played outside for 30 minutes twice that day. My older kids 3 and up stayed outside for almost 90 minutes that afternoon.
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dave4him 03:42 PM 01-20-2013
Anything below 50 as far as i am concerned is too cold to play outside
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Heidi 03:49 PM 01-20-2013
Originally Posted by dave4him:
Anything below 50 as far as i am concerned is too cold to play outside
lol@ Dave

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Heidi 03:52 PM 01-20-2013
Originally Posted by Michael:
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/l.../dcf_p_203.pdf
(13m) “Hazard” means a potential source of harm that can jeopardize the health, safety or wellbeing
of a child in care.
(14) “HealthCheck provider” means a provider of health assessment and evaluation services
eligible to be certified under s. DHS 105.37(1)(a).
(14m) “Household member” means any person who resides, or is expected to reside, at the
family child care center and who has or may have direct contact with a child in the care of the center,
whether or not related to the licensee.
(15) “Inclement weather” means stormy or severe weather such as any of the following:
(a) Heavy rain.
(b) Temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
(c) Wind chills of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children age 2 and above.
(d) Wind chills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below for children under age 2.
One of the few things where our licensing want us to use our own discretion. I do think it's comming down the pike here, though, that we will have to add a written policy to our handbook. They provided the "guidelines", but they want us to spell out our own policy. That way, if we just don't feel like going out, we can't use it as an excuse...unless it's in our written policy.
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CrackerJacks 04:12 PM 01-20-2013
You guys have some thick skin...LOL! I cringe when it's 54 and we have to go outside...
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WImom 06:13 PM 01-20-2013
Here is a weather chart I use - It's from the WI.gov website - http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childcare/c...atherwatch.pdf

Since I have preschoolers only we go out unless it's in the danger zone. Most days in the winter we go out for only 15 minutes. I bought myself some snowpants which I wear to keep warm.
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Tags:outside play winter, weather, wisconsin
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