Although it seems like almost everyone who doesn’t have to be outside is staying in, a few folks at Lopez Park are doing their best to look on the bright side.
- Tampa children try to enjoy weather despite cold snap
- Pediatricians say it's OK to play outside it appropriately dressed
“I’m doing anything I can to get him off the Xbox and to get her from going stir crazy in the house,” said Bob Schomaker of his kids.
This is no ordinary day at the park though. With temperatures dropping, not many people are walking the trails.
The dog park sits empty, while the playgrounds are also bare. But a few people are taking a swing at having a good time.
With school still out, Cynthia Jergins brought her son and some of his friends to the park for something to do.
“We’re just playing, trying to get their energy out while school’s out, and they don’t care about the cold,” said Jergins.
Jonathon Gonzalez and his friends don’t mind the cold either. In fact, he has a philosophical way of looking at it.
“So what I noticed is when it’s very hot, we complain, and when it’s cold, we complain. So I would say let’s do our best to enjoy the very hot days, and let’s enjoy the very cold days,” said Gonzalez.
As a rule of thumb, pediatricians said if wind chill is 32 degrees and above, it’s okay for children to play outside, as long as they are dressed appropriately in coasts, hats and gloves.
If it’s below 32 degrees, they should have indoor breaks every half hour or so with an adult watching them to make sure they’re not getting too cold.