Let your kids explore all that nature (rain or shine) has to offer. Children benefit from unstructured playtime outside. Let them splash in streams, climb trees, build forts, etc. Here is a collection of ideas I found on Pinterest that you can use when learning outside with your child.
Free Forest School
Forest schools are becoming popular around the country as people are recognizing the value of outside play, especially since the pandemic. It’s good for mental health, physical health, and for learning and creativity. When I was growing up, and many of you may relate to this; I had the freedom to climb trees, ride my bike up and down the street in the neighborhood kid’s “biker gang,” and play with my toys in the puddles and dirt. Times have changed, and many parents feel uncomfortable allowing children to play outside due to the potential dangers and lack of supervision. However, I stumbled upon Free Forest School on Facebook. The parents and kids in a local chapter near me, would meet up at various nature parks and let their kids play. This was an absolute perfect addition to our weekly routine. You can find more information about Free Forest School on their website, which I encourage you to check out.
What to wear?
“There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”
Ranulph Fiennes
Dressing your child and yourself for the weather is very important, and the gear you need will depend on the climate and season. This video includes some helpful information on how to dress for a cold day of forest school. You can find several videos and websites out there that will have some good examples to use for different types of weather and temperatures.
Shopping
So, it’s easy to find free places to play outside, but it is a bit of an investment when it comes to wearing the right gear if you don’t already have it. Avoid getting cheap things because they will not last very long or work as well. Local consignment shops would be my first stop. Kids outgrow their clothing so fast that most high-quality outdoor items are still in great shape even after a little use. REI has an online consignment shop that is available to members. Also, many companies will offer discounts to participants in forest school during certain times of the year (I remember Oaki being one of them). I recently discovered Mountain Wearhouse from a friend, which has some great deals. Marshall’s and T.J.Maxx sometimes have gear. We are fortunate enough to live by an L.L. Bean Outlet store that we check out every time there’s a sale. There’s always Facebook Marketplace and garage sales that you can search through. So, don’t get sticker shock and backout. There are affordable options if you put in some effort and get lucky.
Raincoats
Rain jacket, raincoat…I used to think that they were one-in-the-same. However, there are a wide variety of options to keep an eye out for. I purchased a WATERPROOF raincoat for my daughter at Oaki, which I loved. It kept her dry and warm. However, in the summer, it was too hot to wear in the rain because of the lining. I got her a thinner Columbia rain jacket thinking it would be breathable and comfortable; except it turned out not to be waterproof and didn’t keep her dry very long. We ended up getting this yellow rain suit below on Amazon which was affordable, water proof, and didn’t get too hot in the summers. If you get a size large enough, you can also wear it over snow pants if your snow pants/coat are not water proof. As you can see from the photos, her coat easily got soaking wet without the rain suit.
Care
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing outer wear is material. Long wool socks will be better at keeping feet warm. When getting a winter coat, you would think down would be a great option for warmth. It will keep them warm, but you can’t wash it! I learned this the hard way. So, learn from my mistake, and pay attention to the materials used and how they need to be washed.