Kiddipedia
One of the best things we can do for our children’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing is to connect deeply with them through making the time for creative play – whether it be out in nature, with music, with arts and crafts, with board games and imaginary games.
It might sound counter-intuitive but winter is the perfect time to spend outdoors with your children – younger or older! It’s a time of year where we tend to stay indoors where it’s ‘warm and cosy’, ‘safe’ from the cold, windy, wet elements!
But what if we ‘flipped the script’ and focussed instead on the benefits of being active outdoors?
Because if we think about it, winter is also a time when we are less active and more prone to low mood and over-indulging in food and screen-time, we can get over-heated, breathing in stale/recycled air, not to mention that germs are more readily passed on as we share warm spaces – especially in crowded classrooms and daycare centres!
And we all know how our children NEED to be moving and active for their brains and bodies to develop in a healthy way! (ever wondered where the term “climbing the walls came from?!”)
When we, as adults, shift our perspective to a more ‘curious, playful mindset’ – as our children tend naturally to have – we start to see the value of rugging up, dressing for the weather conditions, and we’re more likely to get excited about going on an outdoor adventure together!
Connecting with loved ones boosts our feelings of safety and belonging, being excited, curious and physically active releases endorphins and feel-good hormones, AND we breath in fresh air which supports lungs and immune system. Being in nature has been shown in many research studies to contribute to greater feelings of relaxation, better mental and physical health, more restful sleep, and lower stress levels across all ages!
Some easy ideas in your back yard and beyond include:
Outdoor Dance party: take a portable speaker outdoors, grab some bubbles, colourful scarves, saucepans and get moving! By adding upbeat music (at about 100BPM) you’re boosting mood and giving the body AND the brain a full workout! When it’s time to wind things down, choose soft relaxing music at around 60BPM to bring the heartbeat back to ‘resting rate’. You can also use this type of music before sleep/rest times to encourage relaxation.
Nature scavenger hunt: go for a walk in the park and collect items for craft and/or musical shakers. You could leave it ‘open-ended’ or draw up an easy list of things to find depending on the age of the child/children. Among other things this idea can support their reading, language, attention and awareness skills for example “Something hard, something green, something fluffy.”
The small pebbles, gumnuts and other ‘noise-making’ items can be added to a clean empty container with a lid.
Being a music educator and parent myself these musical activities are my personal favourites because there’s nothing more joyful than enjoying a fun, energetic dance-off to ward off the winter blues!!!
So what are you waiting for? Grab your jacket, beanie and boots and get outdoors for some Musical Play!
KRISTY RUSSELL
Kristy Russell is a Musical Mindset mentor and founder and CEO of Moovers n Shakers Music. Kristy’s background as a kindergarten teacher, music educator, and mum of 2 busy boys fuels her passion and advocacy for the many benefits of Music and Mindfulness on children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Kristy is on a mission to spread the magic and power of Music & Mindfulness by consulting with Early Learning Services, educators, teachers and parents to embed musical learning and mindfulness practices into their daily routines!
You can connect with Kristy via
Website: https://mooversnshakersmusic.com.au
Social media: @mooversnshakersmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mooversnshakersmusic
Podcast: Music & Mindset Matters podcast
