Rainy season 梅雨 (tsu-yu )in Japan runs from early June until mid-July, how does this impact nursery schools? In the last couple of years I have found the rainy season to be shorter with just a few days of very heavy rain over a two week period and not the constant consecutive days of rain that I experienced 5 years ago.
Interruptions to our daily routines because of rainy season have been minimal. There could be a halt in the muddy play activities which is just as well as getting the muddy play clothes dry when there is torrential rain outside is always tricky. I have only had to collect my children from nursery due to heavy rain weather warnings twice.
What Do Children Wear During Rainy Reason In Japan?
The long rain coats are called kappa, in my experience they are rather sweaty, older children wear them when cycling to school because you are not allowed to hold an umbrella while cycling. Our nursery now has "rainy walk" days in Spring (not during rainy season) and the children take a kappa style raincoat which comes with a bag that the wet coat can be folded away into. This raincoat can be used again during rainy season.
On days with light rain my children continue to wear their summer sandals to and from nursery and their usual cotton shorts and T-shirts. They change into their nursery shorts when they get there. During the summer they do not have to wear the sailor style uniform top.
When the rain is heavy the children wear rain boots which keep their feet dry. This very heavy rain is when the kappa, raincoat is needed. At our nursery (unlike the elementary school) there are no rules about what type of footwear should be worn. Have a look at what the other children are wearing or go with what your children prefer.
Starting in May the outdoor play shoes which are left at nursery can be changed to flip flop style sandals too so socks are not needed.
What Size Umbrella Does My Child Need?
The children's umbrellas can't be left at our nursery but they are handy for dashing between the car and the nursery school. The size of umbrella varies with age. A clear panel in the umbrella so children can see out is useful. My daughter used a 35cm umbrella for all three years of nursery.
年初 nensho Age 2-3 35cm
年中 nenchu Ages 3-4cm 40 cm
年長 nencho Ages 5-6 cm 45 cm
UV blocking umbrellas are needed when your child has to walk to and from school in elementary school. They can of course also double as a rain umbrella.
Which Illnesses Spread During Rainy Season In Japan?
Looking back on my nursery app notifications I can see that there were several cases of hand foot and mouth and some coughs during rainy season. We had a message advising us to be vigilant of our children's condition. The damp, humidity and swings in temperature are ideal conditions for viruses to spread.
Does Nursery School Close During Rainy Season In Japan?
If the rain is very heavy there may be a severe weather warning. You can keep your children home on these days. Our nursery does not close when there is a severe weather warning. But often parents pick their children up early, or don't take them in if the warning is in effect in the morning. Elementary and middle schools do close when there is a severe weather warning so children with older siblings might not come in. Senior high schools in my area require two severe weather warnings before they close. Often if there is a heavy rain warning 大雨警報 (ōame-keiho) it is accompanied by a thunderstorm, flood or landslide warning. In extreme circumstances there can be evacuations, check you know your city's the procedure for this.
You May Also Like
Summer Essentials In Japan
What's In My Nursery Bag Summer Muddy Play Edition
What's In My Nursery Bag Summer Water Play Edition
Comments
Post a Comment