Heading outside for some wintertime fun like sledding, throwing snowballs or ice skating can be a sure-fire cure for cabin fever. It's also a great way for kids to get the 60 minutes of daily exercise they need. Just be sure your child is dressed right—and know when it's time to come in and warm up.
Families can also prevent winter-related injuries, whether that means supervising a sledding expedition or helping keep children off thin ice.
“Children are more at risk from cold outdoor temperatures than adults,” said pediatrician Lois Lee, MD, MPH, FAAP, chair of the AAP Council on Injury and Violence Prevention. “Because their bodies are smaller, they lose heat more quickly. Especially if they're having fun, they may not realize how cold they are and may be less likely to come inside when they're getting too cold.”
Below are some tips to enjoy time outdoors and be safe.
To prevent frostbite and hypothermia:
- Check the wind chill. In general, playing outside in temperatures or wind chills below -15° Fahrenheit should be avoided. At these temperatures, exposed skin begins to freeze within minutes.
- Wearing several thin layers of clothing will help keep kids warm and dry. Insulated boots, mittens or gloves, and a hat are also essential. Make sure children change out of any wet clothes right away.
- Set reasonable limits on the amount of time spent playing outside to prevent hypothermia and frostbite. Make sure kids have a place to go for regular indoor breaks to warm up.
- Information on what to do if you suspect frostbite or hypothermia is here.
Winter Activities
Snow Forts and Snow Tunnels
- To prevent suffocation risk if a snow fort or tunnel collapses, children should be supervised when these are being bult. This will ensure opening(s) are available for exiting. Or if the snow fort or tunnel collapses, the supervising individual is available to extricate children who may get trapped inside.
- Avoid the use of sharp tools by children when building snowforts and snow tunnels.
While ice skating:
- Allow children to skate only on approved frozen surfaces that have been checked to ensure the ice is thick enough. Check for signs posted by local police or recreation departments or call your local police department to find out which areas have been approved.
- Advise your child to skate in the same direction as the crowd and avoid darting across the ice.
- Never skate alone
- Do not chew gum or eat food while skating to prevent choking
- Consider having your child wear a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads, especially while learning to skate to keep them safe from serious head injury or broken bones.
When sledding:
- Keep sledders away from motor vehicles and trees.
- Children under age 12 should always be supervised while sledding.
- Keep young children (e.g. preschool age) separated from older children (adolescents and teenagers).
- Sledding feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries.
- Consider having your child wear a helmet while sledding to prevent serious head injury.
- Use steerable sleds, not snow disks or inner tubes, where there is less control over where the sled can go.
- Sleds should be structurally sound and free of sharp edges and splinters, and the steering mechanism should be well lubricated.
- Sled slopes should be free of obstructions like trees or fences, be covered in snow (not ice), not be too steep (slope of less than 30º), and end with a flat runoff.
- Avoid sledding in crowded areas.
When snow skiing and snowboarding:
- Children should be taught to ski or snowboard, ideally by a qualified instructor in a program designed for children.
- Children should never ski or snowboard alone.
- Young children should always be supervised by an adult. Older children's need for adult supervision depends on their maturity and skill. If older children are not with an adult, they should always at least be accompanied by a friend.
- All skiers and snowboarders should wear helmets. Ski facilities should require helmet use, but if they do not, parents should enforce the requirement for their children, including teenagers.
- Equipment should fit the child. Skiers should wear safety bindings that are adjusted at least every year. Snowboarders should wear gloves with built-in wrist guards. Eye protection or goggles should also be used.
- Slopes should fit the ability and experience of the skier or snowboarder. Avoid crowded slopes.
- Avoid skiing in areas with trees and other obstacles.
On snowmobiling:
- The AAP recommends that children under age 16 years not operate snowmobiles—just like they can’t operate a car-- and that children under age 6 years never ride on snowmobiles.
- Do not use a snowmobile to pull a sled or skiers.
- Wear goggles and a safety helmet approved for use on motorized vehicles like motorcycles.
- Travel at safe speeds.
- Never snowmobile alone or at night.
- Stay on marked trails, away from roads, water, railroads and pedestrians.
Find more information on HealthyChildren.org.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.