Morning! I hope you all had a fab weekend. I would like to say ours was nice and relaxing but sadly not as the children are back at school the running around begins again, with Hockey practices and school musical rehersals this weekend. I had hoped to fit in a walk in the forest, maybe next weekend? Thankfully the weather has been fairly mild so far this year, I know I've tempted fate and six inches of snow will now fall overnight! But how many of us still take our children to the park or for a walk across the fields or along the beach in these chilly winter months? I know it's all to easy to stay indoors, watch a movie, play Scrabble and drink tea, or hot chocolate piled high with marshmallows if you are one of my chidlren.
Owl Hats from Totally Rad Crafts
When Connor and Jack were little I spent hours freezing in the garden as they dug for worms, rode around on their pedal tractor or we played tag or 'What's The Time Mr Wolf?'. These were such fun times and the boys loved being outside, even if it was cold. We would go for walks to the park where they had the slide and swings to themselves as other mummy's weren't quite so brave in the winter months. Even when we were joined by the girls I made sure they all got to play outside and also made sure they wrapped up warm.
Now they are all at school, so outside play is limited and obviously Connor and Jack are too old and too cool to dig for worms but they still like being outside. Jack is miserable when it rains and he can't go and play on the trampoline or that it's too dark when he gets home from school but thankfully he often has sports training after school to ensure he gets to be outside. As a family we reguarly wrap up warm and head out for a walk in the forest or on the beach, even if it is cold. You learn to wear more layers!
Great waterproofs from children from Muddy Puddles
We are very lucky that we have both a forest and a beach very near and also we have big open fields just across the road. Even if you live in a flat with no garden or a city far from a beach you can still get outside and play. Parks are great, especially at this time of year, as many people avoid them as the equipment is cold and damp. Take a small towel with you to dry the swings and slide and if need be invest in a pair of waterproof trousers to keep little bottoms warm and dry as they play and explore. A pair of wellies are essential too, what better way to spend an afternoon when the rain stops than splashing in puddles!
Being outside has huge health benefits for you and your children. Fresh air will clear the cobwebs and break the routine for a while. Rosy cheeks and big smiles all round! Collect conkers or leaves and go home and make pictures, draw on the patio with big chalks, spell names or make pictures with twigs, leaves and other garden treasure on the lawn. Playing outside opens up so many more adventures and it will also help your little ones sleep and any parent is glad of a better nights sleep.
So wrap up warm and get outside, it's not really as cold as you think!
Have fun,
Zoe
xx
2 comments:
Love the gear and the message. Fits beautifully with my Country Kids linky
There is a rather lovely park where we live with a duck pond in the middle. It gets drained during the winter for safety reasons but the ducks are still there. One of our greatest pleasures as a family is to take a walk down to the park with a couple of old loaves and feed the ducks . Judging by their voracious appetites it would seem no one thinks to feed them in the winter, or perhaps no one else thinks to go for a walk in the park at this time of year.
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