My kids and I spent a few hours last Friday at the local playground and they had so much fun being outdoors and running around. In fact, we try to encourage outdoor play as often as possible even during the winter. Today, I will be sharing some tips on playing outdoors when the temps are dropping and the wind is gusting.
We have a large, fenced backyard in our current home so we let the kids get outside and play there regularly. We also head to the local playground, where they can enjoy the swings & slides and play with other children. We also encourage them to ride their bikes or scooters around the bike often, too. Regardless of our specific activities, just getting outside and playing is always so much fun for kids. Plus, it’s a great way to encourage an active lifestyle and promote exercise from an early age.
In fact, IPEMA (International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association) has established The Voice of Play, which is an initiative that is encouraging families around the world to get outside and play. Just by playing outside, a child can experience benefits in his/her physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. For more information, check out the @Voice_of_Play on Twitter and Facebook.
1. Go during mid-day: During the winter, head outdoors during the middle part of the day. At this time, the sun is likely to be the strongest and the temps are likely to be the highest. Plan your trip to the park in the early afternoon. We usually like to head to the park shortly after lunch.
2. Wear sunscreen: Despite fact that the sky is cloudy and overcast, it is important to wear sunscreen. Even during the winter, the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays can be damaging to the skin. We like to wear sunscreen with at least SPF of 30 throughout the year.
3. Bundle up: Of course, winter will have cold days, windy days and even rainy/snowy days. Don’t let inclement weather keep you stuck indoors. Just bundle everyone up to stay warm. We like to wear multiple layers under our winter coats and also wear hats, scarves, and gloves.
4. Play with them: When it comes to play time, get involved! There’s nothing more fun for a child than to have his/her parent get involved in the fun. You can race them across the park or race them down the slide. You can play tag or hide-and-seek with them. It’s all about staying involved. Plus, it will keep you warmer while outdoors!
5. Keep it short: During the summer, a trip to the playground may involve a few hours of play time and perhaps a picnic lunch. When the weather is blistery, you don’t have to stay indoors but you may want to keep outdoor activities limited. The good news is that even 20 minutes of playing outside is beneficial for kids.
I hope these tips have helped inspire you to get outside with your kids and play together.
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Do you let your kids play outdoors during the winter? What are your best tips for #YearRoundPlay?
We go by the same standard that the schools use – if it is 32 degrees or above, they go out. My kids would be outside all day!
We lived in Alaska and the kids went out for recess at 10 below zero. Everyone dressed for the cold. Favorite activity was to ice skate at recess. Parents need to get their children outdoors more and more. Wonderful ideas and tips.
Great tips, I’m terrible at allowing the kids to play in the cold. My daughter is still in daycare so they are required to take them out if the temps are above 40. I will keep this in mind and try and do better especially on our peak temp days.
These are awesome tips for all parents out there. My kids love outdoors even in frigid weather so it is important to bundle them up each time we go out.
Such great tips, will spread the word, I don’t live in a cold climate.
My daughter used to be in before and after care at school. Even in daycare. As long as it wasn’t below freezing? They had the kids outside for at least an hour. Never thought about sunscreen in the winter though. Thanks for that tip!
These are all great tips. I especially like the one about wearing sunscreen. A lot of people forget it during the winter because they think that if it’s cold then the sun won’t bother them.
My tip for having kids to play outdoors in winter is to make sure that they have on the right clothes and jacket and to also make sure they only stay outside for a little while.
I always forget about the sunscreen in the winter! That is something I need to get in a better habit to do!
Mid day is a great time to take the kids outdoors. I can’t believe I haven’t thought to put sunscreen on them with the cooler air. I’m going to have to start doing that. Yikes.
I can’t imagine winter without snow!!
Here the kids have to get outside even if it’s only for a quick walk to the mailbox.
We see extreme temperatures of -30 so we have to be careful.
Great tips for getting outdoors in the winter. People are quick to put sunscreen on their kids in the summer, but don’t even think about it in the winter.
Even though I have always lived in Michigan where we have long winters, I have never been a fan of the cold weather. Sadly my kids feel the same way.
So this is crazy but I didn’t realise you needed to still wear sunscreen in Winter! These are some great tips for Winter, thanks for sharing!
These are great tips for parents for getting the kids to play outdoors in the winter time. It is important to bundle up and to use sunscreen which most people forget about in the winter. Here we get a lot of snow but the kids love to ski and go sledding. Thanks for sharing the tips.
Great tips. Sometimes it’s so hard to get kids to play outdoors these days especially when it’s cold. My kids love going outside to go snow sledding.
In Florida, 20 minutes of outside play is enough for BB!! Glad you’re able to take your children outdoors and even share in their play, sooo important. Nowadays many parents make sure their children’s day is full of activities, but they just chauffeur them around, not actually join them. Great tips.