APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – For Stephen Foster Elementary School, the outdoor playground remained quiet Tuesday afternoon.
Instead of playing outside, students were kept indoors for recess. But students didn’t seem to mind, as they played their favorite games.
Second grader, Xiqing Thao, telling FOX 11 his favorite indoor activity is Twister.
“Because it’s really fun and you get to twist your body.”
Somayia Duffey, also in 2nd grade, said, “I bring my baby lives or I would write on the whiteboards.”
Foster Elementary School Principal, Matt Zimmerman tells FOX 11 the Appleton Area School District has guidelines when it comes to what temperatures are considered safe.
“I think on that chart it can go all the way to 16 below zero with the wind chill and we can still technically send them outside according to our policy but virtually nobody does that right?”
Zimmerman said a school’s decision on having indoor recess depends on a variety of factors.
“It depends on how your building’s set up like and how cold it gets and what the wind exposure is for the kids, how long the kids are going to be outside, how well prepared the kids have come to school with the appropriate clothing.”
If temperatures are negative five degrees and colder, students at Foster Elementary may be kept indoors for lunch and afternoon recess.
With the cold air, Zimmerman says teachers do their best to keep students active while indoors.
“Part of the purpose of recess is not just structured activities for kids to have but also the movement that kids can have throughout the day, and so you don’t get quite that same level of movement you get for indoor recess.”
For students who are anxious to get back out on this playground, they’ll have to wait until the deep freeze is over.
For the the Green Bay Area School District, students will have indoor recess if temperatures are below zero.
