There’s no such thing as bad weather? The practicalities of Outdoor Play
Newsletter 3: Outdoor Play Masterclass
I often think that attitudes towards playing outside depends entirely on your own experiences and cultural norms.
I grew up in the UK with predictable changes in season. Snow was rare enough to be a novelty and rain was frequent enough to require an umbrella at all times during Spring (especially when I lived in Swansea, a city which held the dubious accolade of Britain’s wettest city for a number of years).
When I moved to Canberra, Australia 5 years ago, I became so accustomed to the warmer climate that I started to think of 25c (77f) as cold. In the UK, that is barbecue weather!
Now that I live in Austria, I’ve gotten used to kitting the children out in coveralls and snow boots during the winter months so they can still play outside.
I’m sure that I’m showing my Britishness by talking about the weather so much. My point is, I’ve found that my attitudes towards weather have adapted each time we’ve moved countries.
Right now, I’m listening to ‘There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids’ by Linda Åkeson McGurk via Audible and I’m fascinated by the differences between US and Scandinavian countries when it comes to spending time outdoors.
In newsletter 3 of the Outdoor Play Masterclass, we are going to be talking about attitudes towards weather and how we can adapt our outdoor play approach to the seasons.
October at a Glance:
This post is part of the Outdoor Play Masterclass series. Here’s what we’re covering this month:
Emails are released weekly on Tuesday’s:
Outdoor Play Challenge - 1st October (free to everyone)
The Importance of Outdoor Play - 4th October
An Introduction to Risky Play - 11th October
There’s no such thing as bad weather? The practicalities of Outdoor Play (this email) - 18th October
Extending Outdoor Play Time - 25th October
What You’ll Learn in this article:
5 reasons why outdoor play is important, a reminder
How long your child should spend outside each day
6 ways to make outdoor play easier, no matter the weather
Adjusting your family rhythm for the season
How to reframe your attitude towards outdoor play
Dressing your child for the weather
What do you receive as a paid subscriber?
Access to this article and the other newsletters in this masterclass series (which are released over the course of October 2022)
Printable resources
Journal prompts and reflection questions
Access to the Playful Prompts library
Seasonal Rhythms Guide and Printable resources
New masterclass topics every month - plus access to previous masterclasses
Access to community discussion boards
Bonus video overview of each topic
This newsletter is part of the Outdoor Play Masterclass which is exclusive to paid subscribers. To access the content, including printable resources and guides, please click the link below.