Today, February 3rd, is the mid-point of winter this year. So with more cold days ahead of us (at least according to Punxsutawney Phil), this doesn’t mean you need to avoid the outdoors. Making a few simple changes and keeping certain weather considerations in mind, you can have enjoyable outdoor time even in the cold! Check out these five ideas and considerations to help you stay warmer and happier in the cold.
1. Choose activities that keep you all moving: hiking, nature scavenger hunts, sports, biking, tag or any other physically moving game. When you keep your body moving, it helps your blood circulation. Thus, keeping you warmer. Joining an outdoor challenge has helped motivate me on the more frigid days. The 1000 Hours Outside challenge is a popular one that my family has participated in for the last two years. They even provide you with beautiful and free hour tracker print-offs. We love coloring in our sheet after our time outdoors.
2. Midday is typically the warmest part of the day. During the winter months I tend to start my outdoor time a bit later in the morning. We will go out for adventures around 10am and play until close to lunch. Then we go inside for lunch and warm-up time. But our favorite time outside in the winter is after lunch. During that 1-4pm sweet spot of the most sun and warmth.
3. There is a Scandinavian quote that says, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” When it comes to dressing properly in the winter, much of it has to do with waterproofing, layers and the correct materials. Put kids in a Muddy Buddy on rainy, snowy or damp days. This piece of clothing has been a lifesaver for keeping my 2 year old dry! Dress in certain layers, depending on the temperature outside. Choose wool socks over cotton. Check out this blog written by the founder of Tinkergarten. It clearly and simply outlines the best way to dress your kiddos (and yourself) during the winter season.
4. Take warm tea or cocoa on outdoor adventures. This is one of my kiddos favorite part of outdoor time in the winter! We inevitably will need to stop for a snack, which is when I’ll serve them little cups filled with warm, delightful berry tea and honey. We also love to do this at home. We’ll pull out a bunch of blankets to the yard and circle around for story time with a warm beverage.
5. Kids do not notice the cold as much as adults. I think this can be chalked up to the fact that they are focused and amerced in their job of play. So why not join them in their blissful mindscape and escape into the fun that obliterates the frostiness of cold weather.
Anytime I start to let myself get discouraged about the winter weather, I visit the Instagram page of @Alaskawildlings. It is a family with three kids that live in Alaska. They are outside everyday! And the pictures the mom captures are breathtaking. Seeing them thrive and enjoy some of the coldest days in the northern hemisphere inspires me.
Yesterday we spent a total of five hours outside. We explored and played at two different parks with our outdoor loving friends. I believe by implementing these five ideas we were able to keep the enjoyment flowing throughout the overcast, windy cold winter day.
I hope this blog inspires you to add more outdoor hours to your winter days. Let us know what adventures these extra hours lead you.
Explore, Play and Go outside
Love,
Free Spirited Mom
PS – Only 47 days until spring ;-D
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