How to find out the temperature that is safe for a child to play outside

Video: How to Know If the Temperature Is Safe to Play Outside

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 3: Study the Weather Forecast
Method 2 of 3: Calculate the Weather Comfort Factor or Heat Index
Method 3 of 3: Keep your kids at a comfortable temperature
Warnings
What do you need

Warm and cool weather is a great time for kids to frolic outside.Winter and summer offer a ton of fun, from snowman making and sledding to water sports. But how do you know if your children can play outside in hot or cold weather? What temperature is considered safe and what is not? Do you understand the terms harshness index, thermal index and relative humidity? It's really simple, a little basic knowledge of weather and practical advice will help you understand the basic principles in making the right decision.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Study the Weather Forecast

1 Check your local weather forecast. First, start with your local weather forecast. Turn on your TV or go online to find out the average daily temperature. Be vigilant if the forecast foretells inclement weather, while paying particular attention to excessively high temperatures or a cold snap warning.
- Check the temperature if you have an outdoor thermometer outside your window. It will give you some idea of the weather conditions. However, keep in mind that you will not get a full picture of the weather: the thermometer measures only the air temperature. It does not detect colder or warmer temperatures due to wind or heat index, which make it hotter or colder outside than the actual air temperature.
2 Leave children at home in extreme cold. Severe frost can lead to hypothermia when the body temperature drops too low, or even frostbite. The Russian community of pediatricians recommends that children should not be allowed out of the house at all at temperatures below -25ºC. However, this is the absolute temperature limit at which the skin begins to freeze within just a couple of minutes.
- It is highly recommended that children stay at home when the air temperature drops below -12ºC. However, even if the temperature is slightly below 0ºC, children still need to go home every 20-30 minutes to keep warm.
- The State Metrological Service of Russia issues advisory or warning notices about possible hypothermia if the wind-cold index is so low that it poses a threat to human life. If your area of residence is at risk, never let your children go outside.
3 Leave the children at home in the heat. Heat is dangerous in the form of sunstroke, heat exhaustion caused by overheating of the body, burns from hot objects such as playground equipment, sunburn, and excessive thirst, especially during active games. Keep children outside if the temperature is over 35ºC - 40ºC and wait for the heat to subside.
- If your children are mobile or you live in warmer climates, you need to limit play and sports activities until the cooler time, and go for a walk only in the morning and evening. Do not walk outside in hot weather from 10 am to 4 pm.
- Whenever a temperature rise that is dangerous to human health is foreseen, the meteorological service issues a warning and announces an impending excessively high temperature. Leave children at home during this period if you live in a risk area.
4 Follow school guidelines. Many schools have a charter of rules about what kind of weather is good for outdoor walks. And if it gets too hot or cold outside, then during recess, the children are in the room. Read the school charter and try to follow it at home. It is dangerous to be outside if the school administration forbids going out into the fresh air during recess.

Method 2 of 3: Calculate the Weather Comfort Factor or Heat Index

1 Check the weather for "perceived temperature". Due to the fact that the air temperature does not always reflect the real sensations of our body, it is difficult to immediately decide whether to let the children go for a walk, because there are other factors that affect heat and cold, especially air humidity and hypothermia under the influence of the wind ... The amount we want to get is called the "perceived temperature". After you make calculations for wind and humidity, this number will show the real coefficient of how hot or cold we will be outside.
- Hypothermia occurs under the influence of the wind and is due to the effect of the perceived temperature in cold weather. We feel a significant decrease in air temperature in exposed areas of the skin. Meteorologists calculate the wind-cold index using complex formulas. However, on the Internet you can find charts or calculators that will calculate everything for you. You only need to know the air temperature and wind speed. The graph will display the wind chill factor during the day.
- The heat index is the perceived temperature in hot weather. The heat index shows the temperature that the human body feels, taking into account the humidity of the air. It is also calculated using complex formulas, but there are graphs on the Internet in which everything has already been done for you. You only need to know the air temperature and relative humidity during the day.
2 Having learned the coefficient of weather sharpness, calculate the zones of increased danger. According to the State Meteorological Service, as soon as the weather falls below -7.7ºC, frostbite can occur within the next few minutes. Following the logic of calculations, leave your children at home in advance.
- For example, at an air temperature of -1ºC, a gusty wind at a speed of only 16 km / h reduces the weather harshness coefficient to -6ºC, which is just the limit for a safe walk. At an air temperature of -4ºC and a light wind of 8 km / h, the temperature sharpness coefficient is -7ºC.
3 Calculate the hazardous areas using the heat index. As in the first case, check what perceptible high temperature is dangerous and safe for health. Consider the following example: if the relative humidity is 70%, an air temperature of 32ºC feels like 36ºC, and at 80% relative humidity, an air temperature of 35ºC feels like 45.5ºC. Here, both perceptible temperatures are hazardous to health.
- Don't lose sight of the sunlight. Global exposure to the sun raises the heat index by 9ºC. And a thermal index of 36ºC feels like 44.5ºC.

Method 3 of 3: Keep your kids at a comfortable temperature

1 Dress children appropriately for the weather. You should plan your wardrobe according to hot or cold weather conditions. Dress the children appropriately for their planned activities. For a winter walk, you must wear a coat or winter overalls, mittens, a scarf, a hat and boots. Layered outfits should be worn in medium temperatures and light ones in hot weather.
- When choosing a wardrobe for cold weather, opt for layered clothing. Moving children will get hot very quickly, even if it's freezing outside. The problem is that they will start to sweat, they will become uncomfortable with damp clothes, and the body will lose heat much faster, which will lead to the risk of hypothermia. Dress children so that they can take off their heavy coat if they sweat.
- Try this method using three main layers. An inner one that retains moisture and prevents it from spreading to most of the body (unlike cotton, polyester and modern materials are suitable for this). The middle layer is necessary for insulation. It is composed of wool or fleece and may even include multiple intermediate layers. And finally, the top layer, which protects against wind, rain and cold.As a rule, this is a coat with a hood, a hat, padding pants, and so on.
2 Watch for signs of extreme cold or overheating. If the child is too cold or overheated, this should serve as a signal for you. Once you recognize some of these signs in your child, take him home to warm him up or cool him down. Call your child's doctor if symptoms persist within a few minutes. If symptoms are severe, dial 112 or call emergency services.
- Exposure to high temperatures can provoke muscle cramps and even fainting. These are all signs of sunstroke or heat exhaustion. Dizziness, weakness, nausea, or lack of coordination are signs that your child's health is at risk. Dark urine indicates dehydration.
- A child who is too cold may not admit it. So if he says that he is cold, be sure to believe his words. Even a slight tremor is the first sign of hypothermia. More serious symptoms include dizziness, hunger, nausea, fatigue, rapid breathing, and lack of coordination.
3 Make sure children drink enough water. To avoid overheating ailments, make sure your child is drinking enough fluids. This is the best you can do for prevention. As stated above, wearing the right clothing prevents overheating and loss of fluid. Children must be dressed for the weather. Clothes that are too hot or too tight will overheat the baby's body.
- Children sweat less and have less surface evaporation than adults. Allow your child to play as they please, and do not be forced to increase physical activity or vigorous activity in hot weather.
- Do not take a child's request for water as the first sign of dehydration. Thirst is not really an indicator. Keep water and other beverages that are suitable for use at the appropriate time of the year within reach of children. If your child has significant fluid loss or excessive sweating, wipe off sweat and replenish minerals by giving him sports drink or Pedialyte electrolyte oral solution.
4 Apply sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight. Keeping away from the sun is necessary not only to keep the kids cool. This will keep the skin away from harmful UV rays and prevent sunburn, which is very harmful to them.
- A child should use sunscreen throughout the year, and even in winter, as a way to protect them from the sun. Use a cream with an SPF of at least 30.
- Avoid the most intense sunlight during maximum temperatures from 10am to 3pm. Also, try to be in the shade at all times, be it a natural shade from a tree or an artificial shade from an umbrella.

Warnings

Never leave your child alone in the car, especially during hot weather or frost.
Never let your child play unattended near a river, lake, shore, etc. A child who cannot swim can fall into a body of water and drown. This is especially true in the spring, when the water level rises above normal due to ice melting.