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Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

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Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Nurseries

Are all NURSERIES OBSESSED WITH FRESH AIR or is it just mine?????

85 replies

drosophila · 03/12/2006 20:17

DD's nursery is very regimented I think. They obviously have a time in the day when the kids play out door on an all weather surface. I am getting a bit pissed off with this as I think it's too bloody cold some days and the children are not as active as if they were going for a walk. They are just playing with the usual garden type toys.

I get the impression that the woman who runs the nursery has some view about children having to get a blast of fresh air whether they want it or not. Anyone have a similar experience?

DD is getting over a cold and while I think she may be fine to attend nursery I don't think she is ok to spend a couple of hours outside.

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whoopsfallenoveragain · 03/12/2006 20:21

Our nursery like to take the kids outside if it is dry - I think it is a good thing but I do know that they do have trikes, hoops and other things to keep them active whilst outside.

notreallyhereDee · 03/12/2006 20:23

as long as its dry the kids are outside. i just make sure dd has her hat and gloves everyday at nursery. i would rather her run about and burn off some energy than spend all afternoon inside.

WigWamBam · 03/12/2006 20:24

If they're wrapped up well, I see no problem with outdoor play. You may actually find it's something that she does to comply with Ofsted requirements rather than her own ideas.

julen · 03/12/2006 20:26

When mine went to nursery: yes (my guess is it's an ofsted requirement..?). As a SAHM now I do it too. Hats gloves scarves if they have a cold; they still love it.

drosophila · 03/12/2006 20:27

Yeah I was wondering about Ofsted. I just don't think playing with hoops and the like is active enough when a gale is blowing. I make sure she always has a hat and coat too but I must admit to prefering the idea of her being indoors when it is chilly unless she is really active like going for a walk.

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CountTo10LordsaLeaping · 03/12/2006 20:28

Our nursery have outside time every day whether to go for a walk or play in the play area they have. They all have warm coats and we are requested to supply cold/wet weather gear etc for them at this time of year. Its healthy for kids to get out in fresh air as it helps build their immune system etc or so I'm led to believe by the books I read anyway so I would try not to worry. If your ds has got a cold and you'd rather he be kept in the warm just have a chat with the nursery manager or her key worker and let them know and I would have thought they'd oblige. I know at our place if a child really doesn't want to go outside or won't put a coat on (like mine sometimes!!!) they're not forced to go outside and they occupy them some other way whilst the others are out playing.

julen · 03/12/2006 20:28

Oops, didn't mean to echo WWW re ofsted.. (DH had an inspection this week, so ofsted has been a topic of organization around here these last few days).

CountTo10LordsaLeaping · 03/12/2006 20:29

just realised I put ds and he at some point - apologies I did mean dd and her!!

BettySpaghetti · 03/12/2006 20:29

At DS's nursery they apparently go out during the morning and afternoon. They have an undercover paved area and big lawn, playhouse, play pirateship, ride-ons and trikes etc so have lots to do out there.

I don't recall a day where they haven't been out although DS only goes 2 mornings a week and only started about 2 months ago.

I think its great and so does Ds as he loves being outdoors.

drosophila · 03/12/2006 20:32

I have no objection to fresh air just to cold fresh air. They are so little and can't talk for themselves.

I would be interested in why fresh air even if it cold is good for you.

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drosophila · 03/12/2006 20:40

look at this

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LubyLoo · 03/12/2006 23:11

I am all for them being out as long as they are wrapped up warm. this nursery looks great

Soapythelistmaker · 03/12/2006 23:15

I have to admit that I always prefered mine to be outdoors to play unless it was throwing it down.

As long as they have the proper kit, then I do think a blast of fresh air is good for them.

It has been very mild of late - or are you in a different country?

bobsmum · 03/12/2006 23:19

Ds' nursery seem a bit keen.

A couple of weeks he came home in nursery clothes because he had been soaked through to the skin whilst playing outside in the November rain (we're in Scotland - so fairly chilly atm). I thought that was a bit OTT, but every other mum seems to think it's great that they get a bit of "fresh air".

They go outside every day whatever the weather - if they don't have wellies and a raincoat the nursery will provide one, but even so - it can't be that much fun - even if you are 4?

WethreebobKings · 04/12/2006 00:01

Not in the rain but yes to being out in the cold air. Children really don't need to be as warm as we keep them. Colds and germs are more likely to spread inside where it's nice and warm for them.

I look at the display of the early Maori fishing in the local museum wearing a little loin thingie and nothing else - I think ds will be okay in a nice thick coat and a warm hat!

LubyLoo · 04/12/2006 09:02

Have just read the Ofsted report for the outdoor nursery I posted a link to below. It says that no children have been off sick in the last 6 months! That surely has to say something about the benefits of being outside.

ProfYaffle · 04/12/2006 09:07

Dd's nursery has a courtyard with a cover of sorts the kids go out most days unless the weather is truely awful. As others have said i send her with a big coat, hat and gloves she's fine, she loves it.

hulababy · 04/12/2006 09:24

DD's nursery had outside time twice a day unless it was really wet. They also had an indoor soft play area they could let off steam in if the weather was too bad. TBH it was one of the things I did like about her nursery. I just sent DD in with cardi/jumper, coat, hat and gloves (there were spares if you forgot). I often arrived to collect DD at afternoon outside time and the children were loving it, even when cold and windy and especially in the snow. DD's nursery had a big garden with hard surface and grass surface. They didn't spend longer than about 20-30 minutes at a time outside in really cold weather though.

drosophila · 04/12/2006 09:31

DD has a cold about every other week since being at Nursery. I am in London so not particularly cold. See this excerpt from link I attached:

Professor Ronald Eccles, director of the centre, said the study had shown, for the first time, a scientific link between chilling and viral infection - something previously dismissed by other studies.

"When colds are circulating in the community, many people are mildly infected but show no symptoms," Prof Eccles said.

"If they become chilled, this causes a pronounced constriction of the blood vessels in the nose and shuts off the warm blood that supplies the white cells that fight infection.

"The reduced defences in the nose allow the virus to get stronger and common cold symptoms develop.

"Although the chilled subject believes they have 'caught a cold' what has, in fact, happened is that the dormant infection has taken hold."

To be honest I think it's a bit puritanical along the lines if it ain't hurting it ain't working. When I took DD to nursery recently virtually every child had a cough. Something is wrong. Also one day her coat was wet.

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drosophila · 04/12/2006 09:35

Additionally I think the level of activity pottering around in a garden is NOT enough to get the blood pumping to keep you warm.

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MrsMillsletoe · 04/12/2006 09:37

Living in Swedem, the children have to play out in all weather, otherwise they would spend alot of time indoors. It's well known here that 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing'.

Mine are 6 and 2 and spend alot of time outdoors, and never complain, nor do the other children (not tht I'm aware of anyway). There are some schools here who spend virtually no time indoors at all, I think they are a little extreme however. But suprisingly the children here are rarely ill with colds etc.

alex8 · 04/12/2006 09:39

I saw this nursery on an architecture programme and lots of it is open air but protected from the rain. They said that the children had far fewer colds than in their old building. In Scandanavia they leave babies outside for ages in winter to take in the air.
fawood

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ledodgychristmasjumper · 04/12/2006 09:50

In dd's nursery they play out everyday no matter what the weather, they are instructed to bring thick waterproof coats with hoods and hats and gloves when it's cold and they have a pair of wellies kept at the school which they change into when it's raining. I think it's fab the only day they don't play out is on a Tuesday when they have gym in the hall instead.

beckybrastraps · 04/12/2006 09:55

For me the big selling point of the nursery ds went to was the huge garden and amount of time spent outdoors.

I also send mine out to play in the rain.

I'm just mean!

MrsArchieTheInventor · 04/12/2006 09:55

DS doesn't have a big garden to run about in at home so I'm more than happy for him to play and run around outside. All the children get wrapped up well in the winter and in the summer they put huge parasols out to shield the astroturf area from the sun as the building is a listed building and they can't erect a permanent retractable canopy.

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