Surface temperature check — astro turf

Synthetic grass holds heat and can burn bare skin even on mild days. Check the surface temperature before every outdoor session on hot days, and always back up the reading with the palm check.

Today's check details

Date

Checked by

Weather / cloud

Play bands for this surface

Surface temp	Band	What to do
Below 35 °C	Green	Normal play. Check shaded patches and sand-filled areas — they stay cooler than open sections.
35 – 45 °C	Amber	Limit play: shoes on at all times, move heavy play to shaded or natural-grass areas, offer water and shaded breaks every 15–20 minutes.
45 °C and over	Red	No play on this surface. Close it off, redirect play to shaded or natural surfaces, and record the closure and re-check time.

Based on Kidsafe Queensland guidance that playground surfaces should not exceed 45 °C. Temperatures are read with an infrared thermometer held 5–10 cm from the surface.

Check log — check before each outdoor session and after lunch

Time	Air temp °C	Surface temp °C	Palm check	Action taken	Educator
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec

Surface temperature check — basketball court & concrete

Concrete, bitumen and painted courts heat faster than grass and stay hot into the afternoon. Check before every outdoor session on hot days, and always back up the reading with the palm check.

Today's check details

Date

Checked by

Weather / cloud

Play bands for this surface

Surface temp	Band	What to do
Below 35 °C	Green	Normal play with shoes on. Concrete and bitumen heat fastest — keep checking.
35 – 45 °C	Amber	Shoes only, no sitting or lying on the surface, ball games moved to a shaded court where possible, water available and frequent shade breaks.
45 °C and over	Red	No play on this surface. Move games indoors or to shaded grass, and record the closure and re-check time.

Based on Kidsafe Queensland guidance that playground surfaces should not exceed 45 °C. Temperatures are read with an infrared thermometer held 5–10 cm from the surface.

Check log — check before each outdoor session and after lunch

Time	Air temp °C	Surface temp °C	Palm check	Action taken	Educator
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec
			5 sec

Surface notes

Astro turf

Barefoot play on turf is only safe in the green band — always feel the surface first.
Re-check the turf after lunch: it is usually hottest between 12 pm and 3 pm.
Check edges, goal mouths and rubber-infilled patches, which hold more heat.

Basketball court & concrete

No barefoot play on hard surfaces at any temperature — shoes are always required.
Re-check the court after lunch and again before any late-afternoon games.

If a surface closed today

How we relocated play / what families were told

Note where play moved, any family communication sent, and the time the surface was re-checked and reopened.

The palm check — the backstop before every session

Place your hand flat on the surface and hold it comfortably for 5 seconds— if you can't, it's too hot for children

Test the spots children will actually use— slides, goal mouths, sitting spots and edges heat differently

Never rely on a temperature gun alone— readings can be inaccurate; the palm check is the final decision

Young children burn faster than adults and may not pull away from a hot surface. These checks support NQS Quality Area 2 — Children's health and safety, and the completed logs give assessment-and-rating evidence of your hot-weather risk management alongside your sun protection policy.