Last Monday, autumn arrived again after a summer full of sunny days. Weather permitting, we like to take the children outside right away in the summer. This way, they can start their mornings playing in the sandbox, running, cycling, helping in the vegetable garden, climbing and clambering, or just waking up peacefully at the picnic table.
Outdoors every season
It's not just in the summer that we choose to spend a lot of time outside: we're also outdoors when it's raining, snowing, or cold. Yet, I occasionally caught myself saying to the children, "Ugh, it's raining! Maybe we should just stay inside for a day." Children, however, often don't find rain disgusting at all; they actually find it quite fun! That's why I try to be positive about rain: "Yes! It's raining, so we can jump in the puddles!"For children, it's not only wonderful to get some fresh air, it's also good for their development. Children are natural explorers, curious, and eager to learn. Indoors, children are generally bound by rules and boundaries. Outside, these rules and boundaries blur, and children can run and climb freely.
For young and old
It's not just older children who love being outdoors. Babies love it too. Outside, they sense the difference between warm and cold and learn to crawl on different surfaces like grass, mud, sand, and tiles. They also discover animals like snails, birds, butterflies, and other insects. To introduce them to even more animals, we occasionally take older children out on our cargo bikes. They enjoy the wind in their hair, discovering the outdoors, and then cuddling and feeding goats at the petting zoo. You see the children blossom and enjoy everything around them.Outdoors, children can explore carefree and develop their gross motor skills. At Kideo, we believe it's okay for children to get dirty. By the end of the day, the sand from the sandbox is often all over their bum. Every child experiences outdoor play differently; one child can't get enough and rolls around in the sand, while another child carefully touches the sand and hates the feeling of sand between their toes. This is very interesting for us to see: every child reacts differently to different structures and environments. So no matter the season or the weather, we continue to enjoy, play, and explore outdoors.
