Our toddler community is an all weather kind of people. We go outside in the sun, the rain, the snow and the moderate Canadian cold. We live by the saying that there is no bad weather only bad clothing. We work hard with our parent community to provide outdoor clothing that works for the children so that they are warm and protected outside. We show examples of great rain and winter boots, the perfect mitts and hats, a good snow suit, a suitable fall coat. Finally, we hold up a Muddy Buddy - basically a one-piece rain suit. “Please, purchase one of these before your child starts with us.”
I remember the moment when I became so passionate about children being outside in all kinds of weather. The playground was muddy, and children were jumping in the puddles. And they were muddy. The next day, those muddy children had to stay in from recess to help them understand that getting muddy wasn’t something that they should be doing outside at recess. As I sat and thought about this consequence I felt so sad for the children. What is a puddle there for, if not to be jumped in? Suddenly I was the spokesperson for all weather outdoor recesses.
When a child is prepared with the appropriate rain gear and the school and home are prepared to deal with the mess (a wash station, a place for the muddy clothing, a system to clean up, etc) a child can experience the joy of all weather, not just the sunny days. And children love being outside in the rain.
I want children to know that a rainy day can be as happy as a sunny one. I want a child to wake up and look outside, excited about whatever weather they may encounter. I want them to think about what activities each kind of weather brings - sun is for sliding down slides, playing ball, hoola-hooping. Rain - sliding down muddy slides, jumping in big puddles, dancing. Snow - making the biggest foot prints, sledding down hills, building snow forts.
I know if a child grows experiencing all kinds of weather days that when they are adults they can look at every day as a new and possibly wonderful experience to be had. I want a person to love Mondays as much as Fridays, a thunderstorm as much as a sunbeam, see a challenge as an opportunity.
A few weeks ago we got in from being outside at recess in the rain. Two of the children were lost in tears. An adult walked by and said, “Wow, they really didn’t like being out in the rain.” But she missed it. For outside they had been laughing, making the biggest splashes in knee deep puddles. They had been covered in mud up to their knees and then rolled through the grass to get clean. They had danced with their faces towards the sky feeling the rain on their skin. They didn’t hate the rain. They were devastated to come inside.
Our adult ideas about weather and mess shouldn’t keep our children from experiencing life outside. In fact, our children's love for life should encourage our adult experiences. Get yourself some good outdoor gear. Choose to be all weather kinds of people.