Say Yes to Outdoor Play in Winter

Winter has arrived in Sydney, and with it Early Childhood Educators start to ask themselves the question: 

"Should we let the children play outside in the cold (wet, mud, rain)?"

I can hear our friends in the Northern parts of the globe laughing at us already.

It's a rainy day over at The Treehouse Preschool in Maryland, and the children are outside - wait for it - playing with water:

Winter in Canada is not exactly known for its warmth, but does that stop the children at Stomping in the Mud enjoying a walk?

Or heading outside for a spot of alfresco painting?

The children from Learning For Life in Ireland play outdoors whatever the weather.  In fact, their motto is:

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, and snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." 
- John Ruskin

Look, it is snowing!  When was the last time it snowed in Sydney?  But do the Happy Hooligans let a little thing like snow stop them from having fun and learning outside?

So come on Sydney people.  What is stopping us?

Lets rug up and say "yes" to outdoor play in winter.

You might enjoy reading:

10 Ideas for Rainy Day Play 

Playing in the Rain

Learning in the Rain @ Squiggle Mum

Playing Whatever the Weather @ Squiggle Mum

Why Getting Outside Whatever the Weather is Important @ Mud Mud Marvellous Mud

Enabling Environments: Outside Whatever the Weather @ NurseryWorld

Over to you.  How have you overcome barriers at your setting to playing outdoors during the winter months?

Simple Play Space Transformations #5: A bale of Hay

Welcome to Part 5 of Simple Play Space Transformations.  You can catch up on earlier instalments here:

1.  Adding Tree Stumps

2.  Making Shelters

3.  Sound Makers

4.  Mud Pie Kitchens

Now this one is really simple.  Buy a bale of hay - or two or three - and add to your outdoor play space.  Not only does this add a natural element, but it is a cheap and versatile way to add fun and interest.

Just have a look:

Hay bales at Kidz at the Beach create seating and divide the space to creating an inviting reading nook:

Mairtown Kindergarten used hay bales to create a zig zag obstacle course:

And an irresistible child-sized space to call their own:

And even when they bale of hay breaks down, the fun doesn't stop!

You might also enjoy:

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

Simple Play Space Transformations #4: Mud Pie Kitchens

Welcome to Part 4 of the series "Simple Play Space Transformations".  You can catch up on the first three here:

1.  Adding Tree Stumps

2.  Making Shelters

3.  Sound Makers

Regular readers of Let the Children Play will know that I am a tad obsessed with outdoor play kitchens - or mud pie kitchens.  With good reason too, I might add.  Mud Pie Kitchens are such valuable additions to any outdoor space because they support so many different types of play and are endlessly engaging to children.

With a mud pie kitchen, you get a lot of play bang for your buck!  Not that you need to spend much to create one.  Use what you have on hand already, and keep your eyes open at garage sales and Op shops - or do what I do and embarrass your children by stopping and picking up things from the side of the road on garbage clean-up days.

Here are some mud pie kitchens to get your creative juices flowing:

Cathy's Childminding

Cathy's Childminding

Green Apple Garden Preschool

Patterson Preschool Cooperative

Patterson Preschool Cooperative

Flights of Whimsy

Real life, one day at a time

Mudpies and Sunshine

Interaction Imagination

Yay for Home

Caring Connections

So there you have it.  Mud pie kitchens - a simple, cheap, achievable and irresistible way to transform your outdoor play space.

Do you have any images of mud pie kitchens to share?  Pop the link in the comments below or hop on over to the Let the Children Play facebook page and post them there.

For more mud pie kitchen inspiration:

Making a Mud Pie Kitchen @ Jan White

Yes, She is Posting about Mud Pie Kitchens Again

Mud Pie Kitchens Galore

Simple Play Space Transformations: #4 Sound Makers

Welcome to Part 3 in our little series "Simple Play Space Transformations".  If you missed the first two instalments, let me get you up to speed:  

1.  Adding Tree Stumps

2.  Making Shelters

Today we will look at simple ways to create an engaging space for children to experiment with making sound to their hearts content:

Green Apple Garden Preschool have attached different sized tins to a simple frame:

Preschool Themes has jazzed up an ugly fence by hanging different household objects and play materials to bang away on:  

As did Creative and Inspired Play:

Cathy's Child Minding has created a pretty darn snazzy music wall using all manner of easily sourced materials:

Magothy Cooperative Preschool shows what you can do with a garbage bin and various sized lids and cake tins:

Garden Gate Child Development Centre has hung cake tins from a branch:

And Days of You and Me have nailed them to a fence:

And Tall Tales nailed them to the side of a cubby:

Even babies can get in on the action:

Saffron Threads

Need more inspiration?  Visit my friends:

Child's Play Music
I'm a Teacher Get me Outside Here
Child Central Station
Pre-K and Sharing

Or some of my previous posts:

Take the Music Outside 1
Take the Music Outside 2

Stay tuned for the next in the series:  Outdoor Kitchens

Simple Play Space Transformations: #2 Shelters

We can create engaging play spaces for young children using easily sourced and low cost (often free!) materials.  It's easier than you think!  Over the next few weeks I'll show you how, using examples from early childhood settings around the globe.  

Today let's take a look at how creating a simple shelter can transform a play space, either at home or in an early childhood centre.