For the Love of Winter: Creating Positive Outdoor Play Experiences
Submitted by Jessica Deacon-Roger, Education Program Coordinator at Helen Schuler Nature Centre
When people think of playing outside they often imagine sun on their faces, a cool breeze blowing through their hair, and the sound of insects buzzing. Playing outside during the spring and summer is a lot of fun, and warm weather provides opportunities to spend long periods of time outdoors. However, outdoor play is something that should happen year-round not just in warm, sunny weather. The different seasons allow children to explore their environment and play in different ways.
Creating opportunities for groups of children to play outside in the winter can be just as exciting and rewarding as playing outside on a warm, sunny day. However, having positive outdoor experiences in the winter can require a bit of advanced planning and thought. The following tips are some things to keep in mind when planning outdoor play opportunities for the winter:
Dress for the weather – if you know that you are going to be spending time outside let people know in advance so they can plan ahead. Provide a list of suggested clothing that people should bring with them and be specific (toque, mitts, scarf or neck tube, snow pants, jacket, winter boots). Many people do not spend a lot of time outside in cold weather and don’t know how to dress appropriately. When people are properly dressed for being outside they can focus on having fun playing rather than being cold or uncomfortable. If you know that some children may not have the clothing they need to be outside in cold weather see if you could borrow or purchase extra outdoor clothing to lend to people. Wear proper winter clothing yourself, so that you are comfortable, but can also model how to dress for the weather.
Consider your materials – spend some time in advance thinking about what materials you will be playing with. The following are all important things to consider for playing in cold weather:
Will people be able to handle the materials with mitts or gloves on?
Put on a pair of mittens and try holding and picking up materials yourself, some items will be easy to play with and others will be almost impossible.
Will the materials get lost in snow?
Consider the size of the materials you will be playing with (small things will easily get lost even if there isn’t very much snow).
Think about the colour of materials – anything that is white or light coloured can be very difficult to find.
Can the materials withstand cold temperatures?
Some plastics will become brittle and may break in cold weather.
Metal objects may get too cold for people to handle if they have thin mitts or gloves.
Are the materials able to get wet?
Consider how you will brush snow off of materials when putting them back into storage.
Think about how you will get different materials to dry when you are done playing with them.
Amount of time spent outside – people can still go outside in extremely cold weather, as long as they are dressed properly and aren’t spending too much time outside at one time. Consider doing a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, where you spend 15 – 20 minutes outside and then 15 – 20 minutes inside so that people have a chance to warm up.
Time of day – if it is possible choose to do outdoor activities in the afternoon at the warmest time of the day. There can be a huge difference in temperature in the winter between the morning and afternoon.
Activities – consider what play opportunities you are presenting the group with. Providing materials and activities that allow people to physically move is important in cold weather. If people are sitting still for too long they will get cold quite quickly, regardless of how well they are dressed for the weather. Think of activities that can keep everyone moving such as building with large objects or activities that involve running and jumping.
Location, location, location – think about where you are going to go outside. In cold weather choosing a spot to play that is south facing (so you can take advantage of the warmth of the sun) and protected from the wind are very important. Look for places that have trees or bushes that provide a bit of a wind break or play in an area that has a wall or building that can block cool breezes.
Take advantage of the weather – choose activities that you can only do when it is cold out. Playing with snow is so much fun and such a unique opportunity for children to create all kinds of things! Snow or ice sculptures, forts, tracks and patterns…there are so many things that you can only do when it is cold outside.
So, the next time we have a cold winter day don’t sit inside waiting for “better” weather. Bundle up, head outside and experience all that this beautiful season has to offer!
If you are looking for ideas for playing outside in cold weather check out the Helen Schuler Nature Centre’s Get Outside 101 – Nature Play Guides for Fall & Winter Activities. Additional activities can be found on the following website: nature.lethbridge.ca/getoutside
