Can walking around in snow for a couple minutes hurt a child with asthma?

Possibly: It is really not the snow that will affect the child, but the cold temperature. Inhaling cold, dry air can be a trigger for many asthmatics.

No: While exercising in cold air can be a trigger for an asthma exacerbation, if your child's asthma is well controlled they should be able to exercise in cold air without too much difficulty. There is generally no reason to restrict activity once the asthma is controlled with medications.

No: Walking around in snow for a couple of minutes should not hurt a child with asthma.

Yes: But its not the snow that's triggering the asthma - it's the cold air the child is breathing. The 5 major triggers of asthma are (1) viral respiratory infections (2) inhaled allergens (3) exercise (4) pollution i.e. Chemicals that irritate and injure the breathing tubes like cigarette smoke and (5) cold air. In fact, exercise triggers asthma in much the same fashion as breathing cold air.

As Long as...: ... Your child's asthma is not triggered by cold air. Some cases of asthma are triggered by cold requiring avoidance or medication.