Free Downloadable: Dressing for the Weather

Photo by piratedea

Get Outside and Fit for Life have collaborated to produce a free downloadable Dressing for the Weather chart to support parents and caregivers to continue outdoor play with children year round.

The two-page resource, available for download at https://getoutsideandplay.ca/dressing-for-the-weather/ provides a visual chart along with tips on how to dress for the weather from +20C to -20C. The chart is also available in Fahrenheit.

The creators of the resource encourage its use on bulletin boards and in newsletters and handouts for parents and caregivers, to encourage outdoor play throughout the year.

The cold weather tips focus on dressing in layers:

·      Base Layer: Closest to your skin, fits snuggly and helps wick moisture away. Look for wool or polyester fabrics.

·      Mid Layer: The insulating layer that keeps you warm. Stick to wool or fleece.

·      Outer Layer: Protects you from the elements like wind, rain and snow. This layer should be waterproof with enough room for layers underneath.

The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada offer a Helpful Weather Tips for Outdoor Play and Learning resource on their website at https://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/T.O_5_EN_Helpful-Weather-Tips-UPDATED.pdf The resource is intended for outdoor education programs in nature and forests, but are useful for assisting in decision making for regular programs as well. They suggest using a weather tracking application, such as those provided by Environment Canada and/or The Weather Network to help make safe, smart and informed choices for program decisions.

There are a set of considerations for very hot weather, wind, rain, thunderstorms, and very cold weather.

Project Winter Tree offers 10 Outdoor Winter Activities for Preschoolers on their site at https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/outdoor-winter-activities-preschool and offers the following suggestion as a starting point: “Before venturing outdoors, inform parents that their children will be exploring outside and may get dirty, so they must be dressed appropriately for the weather. Make sure you keep a clothing box with extra hats, mittens, and boots handy.”

The activities include:

·      Evergreens in Winter (downloadable activity sheet)

·      Adopt a Tree (downloadable activity sheet)

·      Blow Some Bubbles (an activity for when the weather is below freezing)

·      Water and Snow

·      Pinecone Birdfeeder

·      Sounds Around (comparing natural and human/machine-made sounds - information resource sheet available on the website)

·      Tracking Wildlife

·      Create a Nature Collage Book

·      Go on a Colour Hunt

·      Scavenger Hunt