Violette Gauvin, 10, slides down a hill in Montreal on Dec. 13.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

It’s not schoolchildren who declare it’s too cold to go outside. It’s the school administrators who decide when recess has to be kept indoors. That’s a shame, because many children are happy playing outside even on officially too-cold days.

In fact, there is no agreement on when cold is too cold. School boards across the country have very different thresholds. So, it is refreshing that some schools have worked out a system that allows parents to make the decision. Even when the school’s default is to keep kids inside, they have given permission for their own children to have outdoor recess.

This is a great tradition other schools should adopt. While no student should be forced out into the cold – indoor recess must be an option when the mercury plummets – those children whose parents want them to play in the snow should be allowed to do so.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that playing outside in winter is part of the birthright of Canadian children. This is a country of pond hockey. A realm of snow forts and snowball fights. A land where kids foolishly dare each other to lick the metal pole.

These are not always positive memories.........

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