Benefits of Outdoor Play in the Winter
We’ve all heard that “old wives’ tale” about cold weather causing the common cold and flu, but is that really true? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, germs are more likely to spread in contained, indoor spaces. Whereas when kiddos are playing outside in the fresh air, their immune systems are strengthened, as bacteria is not circulated so closely around them. As long as children are properly bundled up in the correct winter gear, outdoor play in the winter offers numerous amazing benefits.
Indoor play is great for structured activities to learn important skills like letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. But sometimes we need to work on those big brain skills! Outdoor play is crucial for large motor development, improvement of social skills, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. When kids have a big open space to play, they are more likely to work on skills like problem-solving, which is an important executive functioning skill. They aren’t in a small space with a limited number of toys that need to be shared with other friends. Nature play allows them to use those big muscles to run, jump, and create imaginary worlds.
As Minnesotans, winter may not seem like a blessing in disguise, but our children will have the extra practice of learning how to use even more intricate motor skills. Managing those tricky ice patches and mountains of snow involves more intentional movements and the same large motor skills used to climb playground equipment. Below I will share some extra fun outdoor activities to get your kiddos outside this winter.
Nature Hunt
Who says a nature walk is only for the summer? Get outside and find all the cool things winter has to offer! Pick up some pine cones and make a bird feeder, find some pine trees and talk with your kiddo about why they stay green through the cold weather!
Follow the Footprints
Snow is amazing at looking for animal prints! Look for paw prints from bunnies, squirrels, or other animals that love to roam around in the winter.
Make Snow Animals
Gather all that snow to make your animal body, then grab all that stuff around you like rocks, twigs, pine needles, and pine cones to create your snowy friend.
Snow Castle
Use those big mountains of plowed snow to create a snow castle!
Blank Canvas
Get some brushes or spray bottles to paint the fresh white snow! With this crazy Minnesota weather, it could be melted or covered by a blizzard the next day.
The opportunities are endless. Winter doesn’t mean “stuck inside”, it means using creativity to get kids outside and active during these cold weather months.
