November/December 2024 newsletter
Welcoming the winter wonderland
It may be cold and dark outside, but we can still keep active during the snowy months ahead!
It can feel like a big job getting a group of children bundled up in mittens, toques, snow pants and warm coats. Sometimes it feels easier just to stay inside. However, we know the value of getting children outside in the fresh air, even in the winter. There are so many ways to stay active and playful in the fresh snow when we bundle up warmly and share our excitement with the children!
A fun song will encourage children to pull on their snow pants and zip up their coats:
“Thumbs in the thumb place, fingers all together,
That’s what we say in mitten weather.
Hats on our heads, scarves around our necks,
Warm boots, warm boots, so we don’t get wet!”
Once children are outside, the simplest materials will help them engage in the snowy world. Toboggans, shovels and buckets will keep children active and happy for hours!
Winter is a magical time, especially from a child’s perspective. It is a season to celebrate, full of wonder and light. Let us join children in sharing the wonder present in each tiny snowflake. We are never too old to play in the snow!
"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening, In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, We’re happy tonight. Walking in a winter wonderland.
Richard B. Smith, lyricist
Why play outdoors in winter?
Winter outdoor play helps keep children healthy!
The Active for Life website shares 5 good reasons children should play outdoors in winter:
- Winter outdoor play keeps germs at bay: When children play outside in the winter, they are often more spaced apart and less likely to touch surfaces covered in cold and flu germs (especially with mittens on!).
- Winter outdoor play gets kids active: Outdoor play provides opportunities for creative open-ended play, keeping children engaged and moving for long periods.
- Winter outdoor play offers a breath of fresh air: Breathing in clean, fresh winter air keeps lungs healthy.
- Winter outdoor play boosts the immune system: Winter sunshine provides vitamin D, something northerners are often lacking during the winter months. Soaking in the winter sun boosts the immune system by providing this much-needed vitamin.
- Winter outdoor play improves nighttime sleep: Fun physical activity sets children up for a good sleep. During our Yukon winters, playing outside provides exposure to natural daylight, which helps regulate children’s sleep-wake cycle.
Check out Active for Life for more ideas on active and safe winter play!
Scavenger hunt
Action rhyme
Walking in the Snow
Let’s go walking in the snow
(walk)
Walking, walking, on tiptoe
(tiptoe)
Lift your one foot way up high
(hop on one foot)
Then the other to keep it dry
(hop on the other foot)
All around the yard we skip
(skip)
Watch your step or you might slip!
(pretend to fall)
Do you know?
Yukon government supports the Yukon Imagination Library
The Yukon Imagination Library supports early literacy development of Yukon children. Through the Yukon Imagination Library program, children from birth to age five will receive one free book a month in the mail. The program is operated by the Yukon Reads Society who try to ensure that every child, in every Yukon community, has a chance to receive their free books.
Every Yukon child from birth to age five can sign up!
Families can follow three easy steps to register for the program:
Step 1: Sign up a child by filling out a registration form at yukonimaginationlibrary.ca/register.
Step 2: Families will receive their first book in 60-90 days.
Step 3: Get ready to read! Children will receive an age-appropriate book in the mail every month until they turn five.
The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.
Terri Guillemets, poet
Book Nook
Yukon winters provide lots of time for playing outside, and also for spending time reading winter picture books to help children love winter even more!
Just outside my window,
There are tracks in the snow.
Who made the tracks? Where do they go?
This beautiful rhyming story is sure to become a favourite! Children will be reading along with you in no time, and will be ready for your next adventure making their own tracks in the snow!
Snowfall rouses your inner child to dream and play once more.
Angie Weiland-Crosby, writer
Explore
Winter-themed sensory play can bring the wonder of winter to indoor play.
Activity idea:
Create a simple invitation to play, using winter-themed loose parts and homemade play dough.
Supplies:
- 1 cup of plain flour
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 1 cup hot boiling water (add away from children)
- a few drops of food colouring (optional)
- essential oils (optional)
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients except the water.
- Add the water in gradually until a moldable dough forms.
- Add a few drops of food colouring and knead the dough to desired consistency and colour. Remember to use gloves when kneading!
- Add a 1-2 drops of your favourite essential oil (peppermint is a lovely winter scent) to add another dimension to the sensory experience.
More winter sensory play ideas and inspiring images found here:
https://www.theurbanmom.ca/simple-winter-sensory-play-ideas-for-toddlers/
Grow
Children develop a sense of place when they connect with the outdoor environment in every season.
The British Columbia Early Learning Framework states: “Educators can reflect on practices that enrich and deepen children’s relationship with place, land, and community. Children, with their boundless imaginations and sense of adventure, will be the leaders and innovators who will both inherit and recreate our societies in the future.” (p. 21)
As an educator, how might you contribute to children’s connection to land and place in winter? How might you join children to share their joy and wonder?
