Outside in winter?

Yes, we have limits.  It has been around -30C with a windchil hitting around -35C  (for reference -40C=-40F)  and I am not letting my kids play outside.   I might let them out for a short time time with windchill around -30C  and they can go out and play for quite a while with windchill around -25C.   

We do layers.  Snow Pants, neck warmers, the whole bit.  

Have you ever seen the city in Alaska that they wear shorts in winter????  They say to climate your body to the cold and you will be fine.  I don’t think they go away from their home unprepared though.

  I had to laugh last week when I noticed all of my children jumping on the trampoline.  They had their coats on but no socks or boots. I was wondering how long they would go before coming in.  They were fine and came in when they got cold.  It was probably in the 30’s then and sunny. No frost bite and I was surprised they would want to take off their socks and shoes????  Don’t ask me why because I wouldn’t but I know from skiing that I could handle colder weather because I was in it more often then other people.  

  I do agree with Canoearoo-  That is great advise and I love your rule.  I think I will copy that one and hang it up next to a thermometer.  I might have to add socks to it though.  🙂

I run a home daycare, and our agency standard is we have to go out if it’s warmer than -15C with the windchill.   I don’t take the toddlers out if it’s colder than that, but the older kids can handle it if they are doing something active.  

We all have coats, snowpants, boots, good waterproof mittens, hats, scarves, and wear layers underneath. 

We don’t do a ton of nature study outdoors, because the toddlers don’t make it far from home.   When they are ready to come in the house, we need to be able to go in right away, so we mostly stay in the yard.    So we are focusing on indoor nature study.  We watch the birds at the bird feeder. We observe and sketch our table top garden, which is just some root vegetables cuttings, suspended in water, which are now growing new leaves on the top.  In December we got a thrill out of our Christmas cactus blooming for the first time in 3 years. We observed it every day to see the stages the flowers go through.  We do the same for other plants in the house.   A lipstick plant is fun for that.  If I get organized, we may also started some mini terrariums in plastic bottles.  we take occasional trail walks when it’s warm enough, and try to notice how things change through the seasons, although it’s too chilly to stop moving for long, so we don’t stop to sketch anything winter.   Recording the weather and observing different clouds can also be done from the big picture window in the living room. 

It takes creativity, but it can be done.  Have fun with it! 

Joanne  

Doh! I missed snow pants on my list. They are just assumed here in Mn lol. If there is snow there is snow pants. Other wise snow pants are for 30 or colder

our state has a law that public schools must send kids outside for recess up to -10.

However I’m an outdoor nut (winter camping ice fishing and the rest) so I know my kids and what we can handle

Seems I read somewhere there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing. :). But I’m a southern girl, too.

-30!!!???? -30????? Holy MOLY! It is 70 degrees Farenheit here in Oklahoma today! I admire you ladies immensely…my children would for sure be inside if it was under 30F!!

Wow, I am a complete wuss and had no idea :).