What we didn't expect was the impact it would have on our family. We have always been relatively adventurous with the kids, in terms of getting out and doing things, but have been limited in the winter by the weather, or so we thought. What we didn't fully get before this year was that all you need to have fun outside is the right gear. Up until this year, we had scraped by with the minimum of jackets and such that we could get away with, and just didn't go outside much when it was raining and freezing, which is most of the time in the winter!
This year, however, we have been inspired to step up. We had fair warning from Natalia's preschool that she would need some specific things in order to be warm and comfortable outside in the woods. With a list in hand, it was easy (at least physically, if not on the checkbook!) to get her what she needed. The main two things were Bogs boots and industrial strength rain pants from Polarn O. Pyret, a Swedish company that now sells in the USA. The Bogs are rain boots that also keep little feet warm down to 30 degrees below zero. They are serious boots, but they are also cute and easy for kids to pull on. Tali's school has a relationship with the company and they actually donated a pair for every kid this year.
Then, the Polarn O. Pyret pants cover most of the wearer's torso, including shoulder straps, and come complete with an elastic strap at the bottom of the legs. Tali's school has a way to set them up so that the elastic strap is pulled over the bottom of the outside of the boot, which pulls the pants down and holds them there, making a nearly impenetrable barrier for water. I have seen kids at her school doing all kinds of stuff in puddles and in pouring down rain, but when they come inside, they strip off their jackets and the combined boots/pants arrangement and they are warm and dry underneath.
Once we saw the freedom Tali had outside with her new gear, it became clear that Mateo needed the same outfitting to keep up! He very patiently waited until Christmas to unwrap his new rain pants and his new pair of Bogs.
On top of that, I have made a concerted effort to make sure that all the kids have mittens and hats that are easily grabbable, so that we can go outside without too much of a production. Rosie is too small for her older siblings' gear arrangement still, but we have a good little outfit that keeps her reasonably dry, if only she would keep her mittens on!
The end result has been a previously unheard-of outdoor freedom all throughout the fall and start of the winter. We have, in short, cultivated a fabulous relationship with mud, rain, and generally being outside regardless of the weather.
On Christmas Day, one of the most fun parts of the day was taking the kids out into the front yard in the afternoon, as the rain was coming down, and letting them have at a muddy patch in front of our house. By the end, they were covered in mud and had created quite a little lake. It was awesome. And, when they came in, they just took off their outer layer and were ready to play immediately.
A couple of other notable outdoor adventures have included a New Year's Day hike in nearly freezing temps and a memorable outing this fall in the pouring rain, in which the kids were swinging on the swing set and shouting a favorite song, "Ducks Like Rain," at the tops of their lungs...as Rosie was having the time of her life splashing in our wading pool in the downpour.
We have always been fans of kids getting dirty like nature intended, but now we know how to do it so that we can stay out for a long time without someone getting cold and wet and needing to go in. Fun stuff!
Here are some photos of the kids having fun outside recently. The first one isn't muddy, but I couldn't resist that face!
Tali is knee deep in muddy glop in this one!
Splashing at the local duck pond:
New Year's hike:
Playing at preschool:
This is from before her new Bogs boots arrived, but you can see the arrangement with the elastic on her regular rain boots...
2 comments:
Awesome gear!
I really like Mountain Equipment Co-op for outdoor kids' clothes, but I'll have to check out those rain pants.
Way to go, you guys! I always feel better after getting outside in the winter. It's motivating ourselves to get out there that is the problem. :) We do what we can.
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