Recess Weather Guidelines

Ideally, recess should take place outdoors on school grounds as weather, space and safety permit. Outdoor recess allows children to get fresh air, provides an opportunity for children to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity, and gives students more activity options than most indoor spaces. Outdoor recess is an important part of a child’s school day and schools are highly encouraged to provide students with the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Shifting completely to indoor recess starting in a particular month (e.g. November or December) and continuing to conduct recess indoors, regardless of the weather conditions is not an acceptable practice. A school’s plan for recess should provide contingencies for inclement weather; however, holding recess indoors should be a backup plan, not the norm for a school. Use the following guidelines provided by the district to determine whether recess is held indoors or outdoors each day:

Cold Weather Guidelines

Cold Weather Guidelines

Weather	Indoor/Outdoor
Above 32°F with or without wind chill	Outdoors
15 F to 32° F with or without wind chill	Principal Discretion
Below 15° F with or without wind chill	Indoor

Schools should exercise the following precautionary measures if holding recess outdoors:

Precipitation: snow and icy conditions should be evaluated for student safety and attire.
Student preparedness: students should have appropriate outdoor attire to stay warm and dry during recess.
Playground safety: the playground equipment and surface (i.e. icy conditions) should be evaluated to determine whether students can safely play outdoors.

*** With or without wind chill means how cold it feels, whether it is caused by wind chill or not. For example, if the straight temperature reading is 10 degrees or if it's 20 degrees with a wind chill of 10 degrees, recess should be held indoors.

Proper Attire

Parents/guardians and principals should ensure students are properly dressed for outdoor recess during all seasons. During the winter months, students should be reminded to wear coats, gloves (without strings), hats, and boots.

Warm Weather Guidelines

Weather	Indoor/Outdoor
Heat Index of 90° F or below	Outdoors
Heat Index between 91° F and 94° F	Principal Discretion
Heat Index above 95° F	Indoors

*Heat Index takes into account both air temperature and relative humidity.

Schools should exercise the following precautionary measures if holding recess outdoors:

Activity level: students should participate in only light to moderate physical activity.
Student preparedness: students should wear appropriate attire during warm weather.
Playground equipment: the playground equipment and surfaces should be checked prior to recess. Supervisors should ensure students do not play on equipment that is extremely hot to the touch.
Water access: students should have access to water before and/or after recess. Additionally, students who show any signs of heat exhaustion or heat-related illness (i.e. heavy sweating, weakness, muscle cramps, nausea, weak pulse, clammy skin, etc.) should be provided with immediate access to water and moved to a cooler location.

Other Warm Weather Days Considerations

All recess supervisors should be aware of medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, allergy and medications, especially on warm weather days, as medical conditions may put a student at a higher risk for heat illness. On warm weather days, schools should designate a shaded area as a cool down area for students who need a break from exposure or activity. Supervisors should also perform well-being checks by asking students how they feel; those feeling weak, dizzy or nauseous, sweating heavily, or experiencing cramps should get water and take a break in a cool down area.

Proper Attire

When the forecast indicates weather will be hot and/or humid, principals should remind students and their parents to hydrate properly, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, and proper shoes (no sandals or heeled shoes).