Hazy days: when should the kids stay in?
The haze is back this week. Here's the one number we check, what to do at home, and where to take the kids instead of the playground.
If you've opened the curtains this week to a yellow-grey sky and a small person asking about the playground, you're not alone. Smoke from fires in Kalimantan has drifted our way, and by Wednesday afternoon the 24-hour PSI was between 118 and 168 across the island. NEA expects it to stay Unhealthy for now, and it may tip into Very Unhealthy.
The good news is you don't need to lock everyone indoors for a week. It mostly comes down to checking one number and making a few small swaps.
Things to do today
- Swap the playground for an indoor one
Indoor play gyms, museums, libraries and malls with play areas all count. Our Explore tab can show you just the indoor places.
Show indoor places - Shut the windows and doors
Close up when the sky looks worse, and open everything again once the air clears.
- Get an air purifier going in the bedroom
If you're buying one, look for a HEPA filter and skip any model that gives off ozone, which is especially hard on babies.
- Pick up free N95 masks if your child is 7 to 16
Community Clubs are handing them out. Check HazeMaskGoWhere first for what to bring and which places have stock.
HazeMaskGoWhere - Keep the water bottles topped up
Plenty of water helps with a dry or scratchy throat.
- Check the asthma meds
If your child has asthma, keep the reliever in the bag and follow their asthma action plan if they start coughing or wheezing.
So what do the numbers mean?
NEA puts out two readings, and they do different jobs. The 1-hour PM2.5 tells you what the air is like right now, so it's the one for "can we pop out this afternoon?". The 24-hour PSI forecast is for planning tomorrow.
| 24-hr PSI | Air quality | With children (NEA's advice) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | Normal activities. |
| 51–100 | Moderate | Normal activities. |
| 101–200 | Unhealthy | Keep long or energetic outdoor play to a minimum. |
| 201–300 | Very unhealthy | Keep all outdoor time to a minimum. |
| Above 300 | Hazardous | Stay indoors. |
Keeping outdoor time to a minimum doesn't mean you can't leave the house. Walking from the car park into the mall is fine. It's the optional outdoor stuff, like an afternoon at the park or football practice, that's worth skipping for now.
Kids feel the haze more than we do. They breathe faster for their size and their lungs are still growing, so it makes sense to be a bit more careful with them than you'd be with yourself.
Masks: who actually needs one?
- Not indoors, and not for short hops like the walk to school or from the bus stop to the mall.
- Babies: never. Not indoors, not outdoors.
- Young children: most N95s don't seal properly on small faces, and there's no certified children's N95, so a mask won't protect them the way it protects you. Keeping them indoors does more.
- Older kids: if a child really has to be outside for several hours when the PSI is over 200, a well-fitting N95 helps. Let them take it off for a break if it feels uncomfortable.
- Surgical masks don't filter out the fine particles, though they can take the edge off the irritation.
Making home a haze-free zone
- Keep doors and windows shut while the haze is bad.
- Aircon and fans are fine to use. Give the aircon filters a clean, and if you have a window unit that draws in outside air, close its outdoor vent.
- Mop or wipe surfaces rather than dusting or vacuuming, which kicks dust back into the air.
- An air purifier with a HEPA filter does a good job. Pick one that suits the size of the room, and avoid any that produce ozone.
- For babies, an air-conditioned room all day is fine at 22 to 24°C (not 18 to 19°C). Skip cot covers and curtains: they don't keep out haze particles and can make baby too warm.
- No purifier at home? Air-conditioned haze shelters are open at Community Clubs for anyone who needs a break. Call your nearest CC for its hours.
When to see a doctor
Itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing and a dry cough are common, and they usually settle once kids are out of the haze. Symptoms can also turn up a day or three later.
See a doctor if symptoms hang around or get worse, or if your child is wheezing or struggling to breathe. If your baby was born early or has a heart or lung condition, call your paediatrician early rather than putting it down to the haze.
Where we're heading instead
An indoor day doesn't have to be a screen day. Explore has indoor play gyms, museums, libraries and more, and the Indoors filter shows only those. On What's on, the Rain-safe stamp marks the events that are indoors or under cover.
On The Little HoursIndoor places to goPlay gyms, museums, libraries and more, with the Indoors filter already on.→ On The Little HoursWhat's on this weekLook for the Rain-safe stamp: those ones are indoors or under cover.→Hang in there. Here's to blue skies, and the playground, again soon.