One bleak and bitter Sunday in January, my two boys were picking on each other in the house. In frustration, my husband turned to me and said, “You’re the outdoor expert, what do we do?!” It was still early in my yearlong mission to get the kids outside every day, and I didn’t feel like an expert of anything. In desperation, I blurted out, “Let’s take a walk.” It was thirty degrees out, and the wind chill made it feel much colder. But despite the wind and snow flurries, we bundled up and started walking. Within moments, the boys were laughing at how cold their dad was, and their fight was completely forgotten. We kept walking and came across a wooded path that was begging to be explored. Forty-five minutes later we were almost home, and had even pulled off some layers. We all agreed that we should take nature walks like that more often.
There was something that happened on that frigid walk that turned into an amazing family memory for us. In moving beyond the discomfort of being cold and allowing for the possibility of having a good time together, the four of us had an experience akin to the rare magical moments that happened when we were on vacation. I was eager to initiate more of these meaningful outdoor experiences on a regular basis, no matter how busy we were.
Making the initial decision to get out of the house with my children every day was easy. But the thought of sticking to it, day after day in winter when the daylight hours are shorter and I needed to drum up enthusiasm to step outside in the dark, whether it was morning or evening, felt like a tall order.
For me, outdoor time had to be easy and fun or it wasn’t going to happen. So to get us started, I made sure that each of us had toasty warm outdoor gear that fit us properly. I also organized a separate bin of gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats for each member of the family to keep by the back door. This would help us to suit up and get out the door quickly without cries of “Where’s my other mitten?”
I started with short expeditions, thinking if we could duck out for fifteen minutes at a stretch, even that would be an accomplishment. And it was. But the payoff was bigger than I expected because these quick jaunts often led to longer stretches outside. Dressed in warm layers and armed with items like a magnifying glass, shovels, a compass, or a soccer ball, we quickly forgot about the temperature. Winter is a wonderful season to explore the natural world. In many parts of the country, each of the four seasons is so dramatic, especially when you get up close and pay attention.
The way I see it, spending family time outside in the winter is just as important as getting children to eat their vegetables—and in my house, it’s a lot easier! (Growing your own certainly helps, but more on that later.) While Harmond and Warner may protest now and then about having to go outside in the ice and snow, within seconds of getting out there they are consuming the outdoor experience voraciously and with far more enthusiasm than when they are faced with something green on their plates. Seeing how well my kids get along when they’re out in nature is awe-inspiring. I love the way they relate to each other, and to me, when they’re outside. They ask more questions; point out what they see, and ask to stay out longer. As a family, we are naturally happier when we are outside, learning and active together. It doesn’t feel like a chore.
You can also use one kid’s enthusiasm to inspire another. One February school day, we awoke to beautiful and fast snow flurries. We quickly checked the weather and school closings to make sure we still had to get ready for school. We learned that it would get warmer later in the day and the snow would be gone when the kids got home. I said, “Who’s coming outside with me to walk the dog and play in the snow?” My younger son started getting ready but my older son didn’t budge. The snow was barely covering the grass but it was covering the driveway. “Warner, why don’t you get in the sled and I’ll pull you around while I walk Sampson?” “Yeah!” he replied. So I pulled him around on our usual dog-walking route. When we got home, Warner asked if he could shovel the driveway. “Sure!” I said (not going to argue with that). I went inside to get breakfast ready and found Harmond playing with his Nintendo DS. “Harmond, Warner and I had a great time outside. I pulled him on the sled while I walked the dog!” “Really?!” He was slightly excited. I said, “He’s shoveling the driveway now. Why don’t you join him? I don’t want you to miss out on the fun.” When Harmond protested that he didn’t want to wear his snow pants, I told him his snow boots, coat, and gloves would be enough. He had loads of fun out there, riding his scooter in the snow and having a shoveling race with his brother. I brought out hot chocolate and a warm muffin and served it to them on the porch. Everyone was totally satisfied with making the most of our brief wintry wonderland. We were a little rushed getting out the door, but we made it to school safely and on time.
Can you think of other indoor activities that might be fun to try outside, even in the winter? My boys get a big kick out of eating outside and love our winter picnics. In fact, as they got used to their extended outdoor time, they started clamoring for more outdoor breakfasts before school. They also invited their friends over for outdoor play dates. They liked going on nature walks when their friends came over to play, and their friends started asking for the nature walks! And, after one (secretly harrowing) local hike with six kids, when I forgot to go over the rules in advance (like making sure they could see me at all times rather than running too far ahead), I made sure to give my own kids, as well as their friends, some basic safety rules up front at the start of each expedition.
Ask your children to point out things that are more fun in winter than in summer. For example, according to my boys, our backyard play set doesn’t have spiders on it when the temperature drops, and the kids can play follow the leader on logs in the woods without walking into spiderwebs. And looking through the bare trees we are able to see the most incredible sunrises, sunsets, and clear, starry skies.
I learned that setting up good habits at the start of the year—like spending more time out-of-doors even when it’s cold—makes things much easier as the year progresses. Even when we’re inside, we’re thinking of ways to enjoy outdoor-inspired activities, whether we’re learning about the seasonal changes and wildlife in books or creating crafts with items we’ve collected from outside. As the landscape slowly thaws, you’ll be delighted at how skilled your family has become at finding more creative ways to enjoy the outdoors and your time together. And the rewards year-round are tremendous.