Welcome to my 29th Outdoor Play Party post!
On the theme of 'why not?' Another strand of that is why bother with waterproof clothing & going outside in rain etc. It would be so much easier if we didn't go outside everyday, no matter what, it would mean less set up time each morning when 2 of us spend 20-30 minutes putting all the resources out. It would make tidy-up time much easier as we wouldn't have to put it all away again & spend time hanging wet clothes in the dryer or on the line. BUT from experience I know that it would not make my job during the day easier, in fact it would be much harder to be inside with 26 children for almost 5 hours everyday. We had a taste of what this would be like last year when the playground was being repaired & we had to stay inside for 4 days - it was a nightmare for all - staff & children!
It doesn't take much to get the children dressed in their wellies & waterproofs, and on an average day it's usually about 6-7 children who choose to get dressed up, unless it's raining when it can be up to 20. We have it down to a fine art now, the children get their wellies & then choose what trousers & coats they want, if it's the Didriksons set. Our other set is all the same colour so it doesn't matter what they choose. We tuck their trousers into their socks & then get the wellies on, then the dungarees & finally their coats. The trousers go over the wellies, otherwise rain runs into their boots.
It means they can climb up on anything or sit down anywhere without us worrying about them getting wet or dirty.
If they have been in the mud or sand, they get hosed down before getting changed. They all know to get their shoes first before starting to take the waterproofs off.
Coats off first, then the slide the straps of the dungarees off & sit down to take their boots off before getting their shoes back on again. We would prefer that they don't wear shoes/boots with laces so that they can do all this for themselves.
We are so used to this system now it seems like part of the routine & we wouldn't have it any other way!
Given it was the start of a new year & for many it is the depths of a cold winter or for some a very hot summer, I was delighted to see so many posts linked up - 30 to be exact. So thanks to everyone who added a link, they are all appreciated & hopefully will inspire someone else to get outdoors a little bit more often.
I am featuring 2 posts from the last linky, mostly because I can't pick one & not the other as they both are about fab, family fun days spent on the beach in winter - and believe it or not the exact same beach - Barry Island! So my featured posts come from The Boy & Me & The Johnson Babies. How good does the beach look even in January?
How did your
kids play outdoors this week?
- Any kind of children's outdoor play-related posts are welcome!
We'd appreciate it if you included a link back to this post (either in your post or sidebar) to help us spread the word about the importance (and fun!) of outdoor play! In return, we'll gladly further share your post on Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest. Please feel free to grab the Outdoor Play Party button from the sidebar and/or include a text link back.
Please note that by contributing you are giving permission for an image and link to your post to be republished if featured. (If you have been featured, please feel free to grab the 'featured' button from the sidebar.) Share your ideas for outdoor play activities with us every other week!
Thank you so much for featuring my photograph and the activity. So many people were there on that day, I can't believe I missed Debbie by only an hour!
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of your waterproofs, and incredibly impressed with how self-sufficient and independent the children are. As a teacher I feel that one of the best things I can do is enable the children in my care to be more self-reliant in getting things done; great to see them start at such an early age.
I know I think that is so weird, that you both would be there on the same day! I agree 100% on the self-reliance, we spend the whole nursery year encouraging this & before the curriculum changed in primary it used to make me so sad to then see the same children have to ask for everything when they went to 'big school'. Thankfully, we are all on the same page now. Kierna
DeleteI love your water proofs. J's nursery don't have them instead we are asked to send in a spare set of clothes - on Tuesday with the snow falling J was in and out so much that he ended up going through the 2 pairs that we sent in plus 2 pairs of nursery spare trousers!
ReplyDeleteHa - sounds like he had fun! I think that's another reason to love waterproofs, it cuts down on the whole changing children process, at most 2-3 get wet even with the waterproofs, and with 26 of them it was a major operation changing them. Kierna
Deletegreat post, I've pinned this to the Sunday Parenting Party pin board because I think its such a great message for parents and caregivers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that!
DeleteI loved reading this post and the photos were great. I agree with the first commenter that the childrens' independence in getting dressed and undressed is impressive! I think it's fantastic that you encourage that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann, it's all down to practicalities with 26 of them & usually only 2 of us they need to be as independent as possible!
DeleteOutdoor clothing? The faff is worth the freedom!
ReplyDeleteI love it - a new motto for us all! Thanks for linking up too.
DeleteLove this! It must be so much fun to hose those kids off. It's true there is so much freedom when you wear the right clothing.
ReplyDeleteI think it's everyone's favourite part! Even the adults find it's much easier to get involved in all the play if they are in waterproofs too. Kierna
DeleteThanks for inviting me to link up, this is a whole new experience for me and I'm excited!
ReplyDeleteNanette at Little Boy Blue Toddle School
Oh thanks so much for linking up :)
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