Outdoor Play on Windy Days

[Pestle]

This pertains to the threat of flying objects/falling branches and trees, not to the way that windchill affects temperature.

We are currently under a wind advisory. It's been brisk out there all day, but not very gusty, so we are going out once it stops sprinkling. But where do you usually draw the line? Is it when there is an advisory in place? Is it when you judge for yourself that it's dangerous?

Late winter and early spring is the season for tornadoes and wind damage here. There are days when I see things tumble across my yard, or the top of the birdfeeder flips off, and during storms that came through a couple of weeks ago, my outdoor shade ripped loose. When I look out the window and all of the branches on the trees are trying to point the same way, I'm not taking the kids outside.

[e.j.]

We have an old maple tree in our backyard that is taller than our 2-story house. It's a beautiful tree and great for shade in the summer but it does tend to shed branches when it gets super windy. I use my judgement on those days. It feels a little ridiculous telling parents that I kept the kids in because of the wind but I'd much rather that than risk a kid getting hurt by a falling branch.

[littlefriends]

Awhile ago my daughter and her friend were playing out in the front yard (maybe 4 or 5 years old) on a windy but warm day and I was inside the house cleaning. I heard a really loud CRACK and then my daughter was just screaming absolute murder! I ran outside and a huge log had broken off and hit her leg as she was playing! She was fine other than a black n blue bruise and scrapes but scared us both to death. I’ve been super paranoid with the dc kids ever since!

[flyingjewels]

When we lived in the middle of the woods, I kept kids inside on super windy days and I told parents why. We had branches fall all of the time. Now we are in an open field mostly. So windy days we don’t go near the wood line.