How cold is too cold to send your children outside to play? A Toronto pediatrician claims that the public school board's policy to hold recess indoors when the temperature drops to a wind-chill factor of below –28C is a "terrible idea."
According to an article in the CBC, Dr. Dan Flanders thinks the health benefits of being active far outweigh the potential risks of exposure to the elements during the polar vortex.
"If you dress your kids up properly, if you dress them according to the weather, there really isn't much risk," said Dr. Flanders. "We know from the scientific literature that play and movement and physical activity is crucially important to kids' health and well-being that strikes me as quite a benefit."
The Toronto District School Board has also been known to cut recess short to 10-20 minutes during recent cold weather.
But Dr. Flanders slammed the effect of sedentary activity on our kids, who already spend far too much time in front of computers, TV, and video games.
"When you use the weather as a reason why kids should stay inside, it says something about whether it's a priority to them," said Dr. Flanders.
Of course, kids need to get fresh air, but many simply aren't properly dressed for the extreme cold—and that is impossible for schools to guard against.
As commenter ArtSmith111 pointed out: "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices."
Printer-friendly version