Outdoor Play Temperature Guidelines for Kids

There is no single national temperature at which kids must come inside. Two numbers from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) make a good starting point: a heat index at or above 90°F can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children, and playing outside in temperatures or wind chills below -15°F should be avoided because exposed skin begins to freeze within minutes. If you run a licensed daycare, your state's rules come first. Delaware, for example, requires daily outdoor play, weather permitting, when the wind chill is 32°F or higher or the heat index is 89°F or lower, and leaves play outside that range to the provider.

Figures checked on November 5, 2026.

What Daycare Licensing Rules Say About Weather

State rules often require daily outdoor play in licensed child care, with an exception for bad weather. Some put a number on that exception and some leave it to you. Three examples show the range:

Delaware also requires at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, indoors or outdoors, for every four hours a child one year or older is in care between 7 AM and 7 PM (933-VI-76.3.1). So a cold day still needs an active indoor plan.

When your state leaves it to your judgment, write your own cutoffs into a weather policy and share it with parents. Home and center rules can differ, so read the set that matches your license. Our opening a daycare checklist lists the other policies a new program needs.

Understanding Temperature Risks: Wind Chill and Heat Index

Watch the "feels like" numbers in your forecast: wind chill in winter, heat index in summer.

Wind chill

The National Weather Service (NWS) defines wind chill as how cold people and animals feel when outside, because wind draws heat away from the body. At 0°F with a 15 mph wind, the wind chill is -19°F, and exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes. Two more points from the same page matter for child care. Frostbite only develops on exposed skin when the air temperature itself is below freezing. And the wind chill tests were run on adults, so the NWS says to treat its chart as a starting point and be even more cautious with children.

Heat index

Heat index combines air temperature and humidity. The NWS notes that its heat index values assume shade and a light wind, and that full sunshine can raise the heat index by up to 15°F.

A plain-language scale

The Weather Guidelines for Children chart, used with permission of the Iowa Department of Public Health and posted by Montana's child care licensing office, describes the readings this way:

On the same chart, days fall into green, yellow and red. On yellow days, it says to watch children closely and shorten outdoor time. On red days, most children should not play outdoors, infants and toddlers should play indoors with room for large motor play, and older children may go out for very short periods if properly dressed.

Heat Safety Guidelines

Recognizing heat-related illness

The NWS lists these signs, based on CDC warning signs and first aid:

• Heat cramps: painful muscle cramps and spasms, usually in the legs and abdomen, with heavy sweating. They may be the first sign of heat illness. Get medical help right away if cramps last longer than 1 hour.
• Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, cool, pale, clammy skin, a fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache and fainting. Move the child somewhere cooler, loosen clothing, apply cool, wet cloths and offer sips of water. Get medical help right away if the child vomits or symptoms get worse or last longer than 1 hour.
• Heat stroke: throbbing headache, confusion, slurred speech, nausea, dizziness, a body temperature above 103°F, hot, red, dry or damp skin, a rapid and strong pulse, fainting or loss of consciousness. Call 911 or get the child to a hospital immediately. Move them somewhere cooler, cool them with cool cloths or a bath, and do not give fluids.

The AAP adds signs to watch for in kids, including intense thirst, not urinating for many hours, loss of coordination, and breathing faster or deeper than normal. It says to call the child's pediatrician right away if these develop and do not improve quickly in a cool place.

Hydration and cooling

Have water readily available "even before they ask for it," the AAP advises, and give active kids frequent breaks with water instead of sugary drinks. Young children often cannot tell when they are getting dehydrated, the AAP notes, so build water breaks into the schedule instead of waiting for them to ask.

On hot days, the Iowa outdoor play guide suggests going out during cooler parts of the day, offering plenty of breaks in the shade, and offering drinking water often. If children look too hot, take a shade and water break or bring them in.

Clothing, sunscreen and hot surfaces

• Dress children in lightweight, loose-fitting clothing (Iowa guide).
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, up to SPF 50, and reapply every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating or towel drying (AAP).
• Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. The AAP says sunscreen on small areas such as the face is OK for them when shade and protective clothing are not available.
• Limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest (AAP). The EPA UV Index scale says to seek shade from late morning through mid-afternoon whenever the UV Index is 3 or higher, and to add a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Touch slides and platforms before children use them. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's playground handbook warns that bare metal in direct sun can get hot enough to cause serious contact burns in seconds, and that some dark surfacing has blistered bare feet.

Cold Weather Considerations

Dressing for cold play

Dress kids in several thin layers to keep them warm and dry. The AAP calls insulated boots, mittens or gloves, and a hat essential. Change children out of wet clothes right away (AAP winter safety). Wet clothing pulls heat from the body, so a snowy recess needs dry spares waiting inside.

The Iowa guide also tells programs to talk with parents about sending the right clothing and to check equipment for ice before children go out. Keep a bin of spare hats, mittens and socks for the child who arrives without them. For more on supplies, see our daycare equipment list.

Frostbite and hypothermia: signs and what to do

Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature. The CDC lists these signs:

• Babies: bright red, cold skin and very low energy.
• Adults: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.

If a child shows these signs, take their temperature. The CDC says to get medical attention immediately if it is below 95°F. The AAP calls hypothermia a medical emergency: call 911, and remove wet clothing while you wait.

Redness or pain may be the first sign of frostbite, according to the CDC, and other signs include white or grayish-yellow skin that feels firm or waxy, and numbness. The AAP says frostbitten skin may hurt or burn, then go numb, and may turn white or pale gray and blister. Bring the child inside to warm up gently. Don't rub the skin or pop blisters, and soak the area in warm, not hot, water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Infants and Toddlers Need Closer Watching

Infants and toddlers cannot tell you when they are too hot or too cold, and they handle shorter stretches outdoors, according to the Weather Guidelines for Children chart. They often get fussy instead. The Iowa guide lists signs to watch for in children of any age:

Children who can talk may still not speak up. The weather chart notes that young children may insist they are not too hot or cold because they are enjoying playtime, so providers need to set the length of outdoor time for them. Older children may want to play without coats, hats or mittens and need a firm approach to dressing for the weather.

Monitoring Air Quality

Heat and cold are not the only reasons to cut outdoor time. Children and teenagers are among the sensitive groups for particle pollution, because their lungs are still developing and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults (AirNow particle pollution guide). Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) on AirNow before you head out, especially on wildfire smoke days.

When the AQI reaches 101 or higher, children with asthma should follow their asthma action plan and keep quick-relief medicine handy, per the same AirNow guide. Keep a copy of each plan with your outdoor first aid kit.

Adapting Activities by Season: Build a Weather Policy

A written policy keeps the call consistent across staff and gives parents a clear answer when their child stays in. Here is one way to build it:

1. Start with your state's rule. Copy any number it sets, and note whether it applies to your license type.
2. Pick your sources. The NWS forecast for heat index, wind chill and advisories, AirNow for air quality, and the EPA UV Index for sun.
3. Set your cutoffs. If your state sets none, the AAP's heat index of 90°F and wind chill of -15°F are a reasonable outer limit, with shorter sessions and closer watching as you approach them. Set stricter limits for infants and toddlers.
4. Check before every outdoor block. Conditions at 3 p.m. can differ a lot from 9 a.m.
5. Plan the clothing. Tell parents what to send each season, and keep spares.
6. Plan the indoor backup. Have a gross motor option ready for red days. Our list of indoor activities for kids has ideas.
7. Write down the decision. A short log of the reading and what you did answers a parent's or licensing worker's question later.

In summer, move outdoor time to the morning and lean on shade and water play. In winter, shorter sessions with a warm-up break inside often work better than one long recess.

Emergency Preparedness

Weather can turn while children are already outside. Plan for that moment:

• Sign up for NWS alerts for your area. In Delaware, centers must follow NWS guidelines when a health or safety advisory is issued (933-VI-76.2.3), and it is a sound habit anywhere.
• Bring a phone, water and the children's emergency contacts outside with you.
• Post the heat stroke and hypothermia steps above where staff can see them. Both are 911 calls.
• Train staff in pediatric first aid and CPR. Your state may require it for licensed caregivers. Our guide to daycare certifications covers what to look for.

Outdoor Play Temperature FAQ

Q:

What temperature is too cold for kids to play outside?

The AAP says to avoid playing outside in temperatures or wind chills below -15°F, when exposed skin begins to freeze within minutes. Many programs set a stricter limit, and some states set one in their rules. Delaware's center rule, for example, requires daily outdoor play, weather permitting, when the wind chill is 32°F or higher or the heat index is 89°F or lower, and lets the provider decide outside that range. Watch infants and toddlers more closely, since they cannot tell you they are cold.

Q:

What temperature is too hot for kids to play outside?

Check the heat index, which adds humidity to the air temperature. The AAP says a heat index at or above 90°F can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. Full sun can push the heat index up by as much as 15°F, according to the NWS, so shade matters.

Q:

Do daycares have to take children outside every day?

Some states do, with an exception for bad weather. Michigan requires it for centers with children in attendance 3 or more continuous hours a day, and Wisconsin for group centers open more than 3 hours a day. Check your own state's rules for your license type.

Q:

Should kids play outside when the air quality is bad?

AirNow lists children and teenagers as a sensitive group for particle pollution. At an AQI of 101 to 150, keep outdoor play shorter and less intense. At 151 to 200, avoid long or intense outdoor activity and consider moving indoors. At 201 and up, sensitive groups should avoid all physical activity outdoors.