How To Get Your Kids Outside In Winter
Tom and Elva walking in Hilversum Forest
In This Article You Will Find.
As the holly-jolly season approaches, temperatures drop and many people decide to stay in rather than go out. Sometimes it’s due to the fear of the cold, other times winter laziness hits.
In any case, “staying in” is the trend.
Autumn and winter are the parts of the year when we often find excuses not to spend time outside. Getting cosy under a blanket always seems like a better idea than throwing a bunch of layers on ourselves to spend the day outdoors.
I can’t blame you, that happens to all of us sometimes. Since I started this journey, I want to explore all the possible ways of staying in touch with nature throughout all seasons. My goal was not to let a drop of rain or chilly weather distance me from the magic and greatness nature holds in every season.
Become more perceptive of nature and all it’s wonders.
However, when I started to become more perceptive of nature, I realised that the stimulus of the environment is fascinating. Every stage brings a different rhythm and unique sensory experience. Every season’s dynamic offers you exceptional opportunities to engage all of your senses all the while providing entertainment for the whole family.
Through games and crafts, I have learned how to keep that fascination and the desire to discover and experience nature even in the colder months. I have looked into possible activity that would tempt me and my kids to go out and spend the day on a nature-focused adventure.
For that reason, I will share with you some ideas on how to get your kids outside in winter.
Things To Do With Kids In Winter
Rain or snow doesn’t have to go away so you can take your kids outside in winter. There are plenty of chances to do that even when it’s wet!
I like to believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only a lack of will. So get your rain boots ready and put your waterproof suits on, because it’s time to go outside and seize the day.
Here are some of my favourite winter activities for families that connect you with nature.
Garden Play
This is a great idea for everyone who has a garden and does not want to go outside with the kids.
After dressing your kids accordingly in waterproof suits, let them play outside and explore the garden while you supervise them from the inside. Your garden will be a whole different world to them when it’s raining, unleashing opportunities for new adventures.
Give them buckets to collect rainwater. Add different pots, spoons, ladles, and pipettes and let their imagination go wild.
Let them create a mud kitchen for hands-on fun using wet soil and fallen leaves.
With an umbrella in their hands, let them stand under a waterfall of rain coming down from the rooftop and make them concentrate on the sound each drop makes.
Photo Credit: cottonbro studio
Forest Fun
Head to a forest where the rain feels lighter under the trees. Observe how the ambient and the colours change when it’s raining and feel the forest’s peculiar smell the rain brings. Encourage activities that will make your kids consider the wet outing something you do regularly.
Build a shelter together for a bushcraft experience and enjoy bonding in your handmade hideout. Create a whole story to stimulate their imagination and drag them into an adventure-filled day.
Jumping in puddles is always a fun thing to do. With good equipment like waterproof suits and footwear, there is no better feeling than running through those tiny rain ponds to see how the water splashes without feeling guilty about getting dirty.
Play a scavenger hunt to collect cones or stones in the forest. Let your kid throw them in the puddles and see how they overjoy the splash, the noise and the waves it draws.
Sometimes the best winter activity for families is a simple walk in the rain. Take a meditative stroll with your kids and quietly enjoy the sounds and sensations of every drop.
Tom and Elva walking in Hilversum Forest
Indoor Crafts
However, you can also stay inside your house and still bring nature close to you, building that connection stronger. Get the most out of the rainy day by doing all sorts of crafts with your kids using natural materials that both you and your kids will enjoy. You can even go to the forest and collect the items first.
Collect different types of dry autumn leaves and glue them to a white piece of paper to create animal-shaped illustrations.
Using dry branches, pinecones and colourful leaves, design a door wreath to welcome the holiday spirit with arms wide open.
Make a lamp with wooden sticks, transparent scotch tape, autumn leaves or dry flowers.
Photo Credit: cottonbro studio
Seize The Cold Weather With These Nature-Focussed Activities
There are times when you feel more like cooping up inside than going out to get a breath of fresh winter air. Just like you didn’t let the rain stop you from spending a day in nature, there is no reason to let the cold do the same.
Embrace the chilliness and get your kids outdoors in winter. Just because the temperature dropped, it doesn’t mean that your hunger for nature should be reduced too.
Regular Walks In Natural Areas
One of my favourite winter family outings during the cold season is going to the forest for a walk. You can pick a natural space of your choice, close to your home so you can go out there every week for a walk as a routine and observe how nature changes.
It is an activity that helps me feel calmer and more present. I consider this a quality time spent with my loved ones when we can all talk about anything, and really connect with each other without any distractions, all the while straightening our bonds with nature too. I see the forest as my happy place where I always feel grounded, positive and inspired to be a better person and a better mom.
Create Rituals Exclusive To The Cold Weather
Nothing beats the idea of getting kids outside in winter and enjoying a hot beverage. Soak up the winter sun while taking a break from your walk with a cup of hot chocolate or your favourite flavour tea. Contemplate the landscape and connect with the present moment with every sip.
Another idea is to wrap up your winter stroll with a meal in a restaurant or a lunchroom hidden in the forest which will always be your go-to place. Maybe you are not aware, but you will be creating something magical at that moment, something exclusive to that particular season.
Photo Credit: Josh Willink
Wake Up Your Artistic Side With Nature-Inspired Seasonal Crafts
Wondering how to bring nature close to your home when the weather conditions become extreme and going out isn’t an option?
Doing seasonal crafts might do the job!
Remind your little ones of the birds struggling to find shelter and food during the cold months and inspire them to create a birdhouse. Use popsicle sticks to build a safe space for the birds and hang it on a tree in your backyard.
You can also make a bird feeder using the same materials, and help them get through the winter! This is a great thing to do with kids in winter that will also strengthen their connection with nature as caretakers.
Extra Tip
Don’t forget to choose the clothing well enough to keep you and your children warm. The best plan is to dress in layers so you can take out one at a time as you warm up. A wool T-shirt and leggings will be most favourable as a first layer – in case you start to sweat, it will dry faster than a cotton one. The warmth and cosiness this type of clothing provides will be only a plus.
Try https://www.dilling.nl/, they offer great options for every family member.
Reasons Why You Should Get Kids Outside In Winter
There are so many benefits from your regular winter activities for families. Here are some reasons why you should spend a day in nature despite the chilliness.
Change Your Winter Sedentary Lifestyle
The physical activity of both children and adults is drastically reduced in the winter months, and we all know the harmful effects of inactive day-to-day (overweight, obesity, future cardiovascular risk, etc.). Going out for a walk in the cold might seem like nothing but in terms of physical activity, it’s actually the best.
Out-Of-Amusement Options
As a mother of two, I sometimes find myself clueless about how to entertain my kids at home. Indoors, the space for activity and play possibility is greatly reduced. Outdoor play is undoubtedly a great option, and some chilliness doesn’t have to be a deal breaker.
Less Screen Time
This is almost an inevitable consequence of the above-mentioned. And it is so much easier to offer outdoor activity and play as an alternative than deal with restrictions and limitations.
Photo Credit: Renaud Confavreux
Reduce The Chances Of Catching An Infectious Disease
Believe it or not, all those viruses and bacteria that cause the most common winter diseases reside in closed spaces. The longer the exposure to these environments, the more likely it is to be contagious.
More importantly, being in contact with the cold straightens our defence mechanism to fight them.
Fight The Vitamin D Deficiency
By spending time outside, we provide more opportunities to absorb the ultraviolet rays of the sun that stimulate the body’s production of vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption and overall health.
So, while you serve your kids milk enriched in calcium, bear in mind that without the vitamin that the sun gives us, it is worthless.
Embrace Nature In All Seasons
I find being in touch with nature even during the colder months so relieving and grounding. I have learnt to live my life in pace with the change of the seasons instead of waiting for the sun to come out to reconnect with my land.
Loving nature with all of its transformations was part of my journey in order to become a role model for my kids and stop dodging the idea of going out in the cold. I wanted to show them that weather has so little to do with our connection with nature.
With that said, I encourage you to get your kids outside in winter as much as possible. Embracing the power of the earth as one will be an experience like no other.
Find out more ways to connect yourself with nature by reading my blog.
I'm a nature-loving mom from the Netherlands, sharing my journey of reconnecting with nature and embracing a simpler, more natural life.
Let’s explore this path together!
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