Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Whatever the weather, we will still have fun together

Munchkin’s favourite past-time is playing outside. We have a small section, with grass, trees, and some decking and stairs out front and back. She runs and runs, around the grass, up the stairs, along the deck, across the pavers. She picks up leaves, plays with stones, lies down on the grass and laughs hysterically. If its raining she sits down, and pokes out her tongue to drink the water. If its windy she puts her neck forward and runs, as if trying to kiss the breeze.

Personally, I’m more a fan of the great indoors. A duvet, hot water bottle and a good book are more my thing that a sleeping bag, tent, and a thermos. But I see how much pleasure Munchkin gets from being outside, in nature. So I put on my woolly hat and my boots and jump in to the leaves along side her.

Rain or shine, we get outdoors everyday. We go to parks and gardens and playgrounds. We feed ducks. We hug trees. We play in the leaves. We go to the beach and get covered in sand. We get wet, messy, cold, and down right dirty.


Sometimes it seems too miserable to go outside, too windy, too cold. I take inspiration from Rahima Baldwin Dancy who tells the story of a kindergarten in Germany where the children go outside everyday, whatever the weather. She says ‘there is no such thing as inappropriate weather, only inappropriate clothing’. That's become our motto around here too.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am a lot like you--give me a bed and a book any day! But my kids absolutely beg to go outside, and they certainly thrive on it. I have to admit that I often sit outside and read while they putter around, but they're older now and don't always need my intervention or attention. And then we also do things together.

Yesterday I swear they were doing plant study--cutting up wild garlic bulbs to see inside, finding the seeds of winter aconite, and finding a variety of leaf shapes to compare. Spontaneously! Not to mention mucking about in the mud, carving the bark off some sticks, and watering the garden. Good stuff.