Dear Judy,

Kindly let me know where I could find information about rules or regulations pertaining to the amount of time school children, especially in the lower grades, must spend out of doors.

Sincerely,

Jaime

Dear Jaime,

Two weeks ago my column on a similar subject raised a lot of comment and I started to look more closely into the city and state rules.

Unfortunately, I can't report anything definitive. New York State standards on physical education and health do not mention the out of doors! And there is no Chancellor's Regulation on the subject either. Department of Education spokesman Will Havemann pointed to the department's Wellness policy which, he said, encourages elementary schools to have 20 minutes of recess every day, preferably outdoors. But basically the decision of how much time children spend out of doors is a judgment call made at the school level.<!--more-->

Some of the considerations in choosing whether to let the kids play outside, or keep them in, are clarified in a statement sent to principals by Lori Benson, head of physical education at the DOE, and posted on Insideschools in February, 2007:

"Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. A number of factors, including temperature, wind speed, and precipitation, should go into determining whether outdoor play is appropriate in cold weather. For example, outside play on a sunny, windless day may be appropriate even when the temperature is below 32 degrees. It is important that children are appropriately dressed before they play in cold weather. Keep in mind that a child with asthma may occasionally experience increased symptoms when playing in cold weather. (Note that exercise-related asthma may occur at any temperature and can usually be prevented by pre-treatment.) Please also consult with your special education liaison or school nurse about the suitability of outdoor play for children with special needs."

We've had such a mild spell this fall it would seem hard to justify confining kids to the school's four walls for five or more hours. I hope that has not been the policy in city schools. Many parents want their kids to go out even in very cold or snowy weather.

Take heart. Since this is a school-based issue, parents may have a better chance to influence policy, than if they try to fight City Hall. Or maybe you need to work both ends of the hierarchy. In any case, it's a good cause.

Good luck,

Judy