We recognise the importance of outdoor play in all types of weather conditions. As the seasons change, children can experience outdoor play on a whole new level. Using their senses, they can explore different textures, smells, changes of colour to the natural environment and feel new sensations in their bodies as the temperature drops.

Do children get sick from outdoor play in winter?

Children DO NOT get sick from the cold weather. Current research indicates that children get sick during winter-time due to exposure to viruses in poorly ventilated areas, however, it seems that exposure to cold weather can exacerbate the symptoms of a cold.

We know that outdoor play in winter:

• Provides children with invaluable experiences to learn about weather and seasons
• Encourages responsibility and independence to dress themselves appropriately for outside play
• Reduces the spread of infection, as it is harder to spread germs to each other in open spaces
• Exposes children to fresh air and vitamin D
• helps children to gain the unlimited benefits of outdoor play all year around.

Tips to keep children warm for outdoor play

• Keep their core warm by dressing children in a tight long singlet underneath their shirt, so that it can be tucked into pants
• Pack beanie, gloves and warm jacket for extra cold days
• Dress children in waterproof shoes so their feet don’t get cold when wet
• Ensure you pack spare clothes, especially socks
• Use weather terminology in daily conversations (eg temperatures, wind, rain) and how that may affect the type of clothes they choose to wear
• Ask questions about what kind of clothing they think they should wear to keep warm.

As the old saying goes, “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes”.