So many excuses to postpone getting our kids out. And with every day passing by, they change their life habits and ask us less to take them out and more to allow them to spend time in front of the screens.

“It’s freezing out there! You’ll catch a cold!”

“It’s too hot! Let’s wait until the sun goes down.”

“It’s raining! We’ll get wet!”

“It’s snowing! And it’s slippery!

Don’t get scared of the weather. It’s actually really important for children to be outside in all weather. Let them enjoy all the sensory experiences, such as the melting ice, the drops of rain on their skin, the wind blowing their hair, let them learn to keep their balance while walking on a slippery road.

That is how they will understand about the environment better. They will learn playing in the shade in a sunny day, and choose the right shoes so their feet will keep warm while raining or snowing. And they will definitely not forget to put their gloves on if they are planning to make snowballs.

5 reasons to get your child outdoors in all weather

Keep the viruses away

Playing outdoors in the fresh, chilly, open air can boost kids’ immune systems, developing their ability to fight off infections and build resistance to allergies.

Viruses live longer in closed spaces, compared to outdoors.

Research has shown that children who participate in active play outside in the rural areas are healthier than their peers spending more time inside.

Get fit

Generally speaking, if you go outside, you probably move, and moving around, you built  muscles and the blood flows to the organs, increasing the Oxygen level,  In times when getting weight has become an issue for many children, spending time outdoors reduces the risk of obesity.

Meet other peers their age

Staying indoors you will meet only family members and close friends, but children need acquaintances as much as we do or even more, since they are just learning how to relate.

Get Vitamin D from the sun exposure

Yes, it doesn’t have to be hot to get what we need from the sun to process the D Vitamin. And we still need it, since our skin exposure is reduced during the cold seasons.

Learn about all the seasons

It’s not the same to learn from books or to experience. Let your children explore. Discuss about the falling leaves and the ever green trees, the migrating birds and the ones that spend the winter here, with us. Observe together how the rain and the snow feels on the skin. Walk through the mud, puddles or snow. Notice how the wind is pinching.

Best dressed for rain, sun or cold

Keep your head covered

Is it sunny? Keep your head shaded. Is it windy? Keep your ears covered. Is it cold?  Put a cap on.Is it raining? Put your hood on.

Choose the appropriate shoes

Waterproof footwear is always a must if it’s wet, rain or snow. Is it slippery? Get the non skid footwear unless you are planning to get on the ice. Keep warm during the cold season and airy during the summer.

Keep in mind that you get warmer while moving

Choose the light cloths, you will move faster and you will not get overheated, since the body temperature increases while you move.

Protect your skin

Keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun rays even during the cold season, and especially during the summer. In the winter time, make sure you have your hand covered in gloves.

Bad whether games

There are so many great games to play in the so-called bad weather.

Wet and rain
Mud pies

Mud pies are composed from a mixture of water and soil. Other ingredients are sometimes added to the basic water and soil mixture such as plants and pebbles. The ‘pie’ will stay together if the mud is sticky – similar to bread dough. In addition to mud pies, children often create other structures like mud sandwiches and mud-based tea parties

Jump over the puddles

You can let them jump in, but jumping over seems more challenging. Rubber boots are made for this kind of fun!

Paper boats

Learn to build them. Use different colors of paper.Let them float on the puddle and make contests of blowing. Which paper boat moves faster?

Snow and cold
Melting the ice

It’s about the right time to teach a lesson about the ice. Let the children feel the temperature of the freezing water.

Snowballs battle

Every child dream is to build snow shelter, hide behind them and throw snowballs to each other.

Meet the Snowman

Building the biggest, tallest and most beautiful snowman in the park is a teamwork. And children learn how to co-operate and how to get proud of their masterpiece.

Time after time I find that the rewards of spending at least a little time outside every day by far outweigh the discomforts of inclement weather. The therapeutic effect of a walk in the woods is not diminished by rain or cold. Find the joy in the cold season, and your children will do that too.