With the colder weather upon us and Winter finally here, it seems an appropriate time to share some activities to enjoy over the winter months!

Ice play

Try leaving a tuff spot out overnight with water in the bottom - with cold enough temperatures, the water will freeze leaving you ready for some icy fun the next day. Encourage children to think about what has happened to the water to promote an understanding of properties and changes over time. Think about how you could melt it to turn it back to water. What might be most effective?
You could also try freezing items in the tuff spot overnight. Ideas might include natural resources such as leaves, shells, sticks and conkers. It's also great fun to freeze things like Lego characters!


Making bird feeders

Our feathered friends can struggle to find food over the winter months so we can help them out by making feeders with the children. There are many different ways of doing this, all just as effective but depend on what resources you have available. You could try pushing sunflower seeds into apple halves and then stringing them up on a tree branch. The pincer motion children use when picking up the seeds is great for developing fine motor skills as well as dexterity and hand eye coordination. Threading cheerios (other brands are available!) on to pipe cleaners is another popular method. You could also mix bird seed with lard, spoon into empty yoghurt pots and then refrigerate until they're a little more solid. Pop them out of the yoghurt pots and then place them around your outdoor area to attract the birds. Finally, you could try the classic sunflower butter or nut butter (depending on food allergies) alongside seeds spread onto old kitchen rolls! See how many different species you can spot!


Small world play

Let your imagination run wild by creating a small world scene in a tuff spot or on a table. You might make an Arctic scene with fake snow, polar bears, tin foil sea with icebergs and whales and igloos. Add in some loose parts for an added play dimension, such as silver bead chains, snowflake decorations and scoops.
Another firm favourite is the Arctic Express! Add a wooden train track to some fake snow in the tuff spot for a wintry small world scene. Children will love making up stories using the props you add - fantastic for developing communication and language development as well as imaginary play.


Ice painting

Make some ice cubes but add in food colouring. When they're frozen, you can create some wonderfully colourful paintings with the ice. It's a lovely way to add a different perspective to a creative activity! To avoid cold fingers, try freezing string or a lollipop stick in each ice cube.



Icy mud kitchen

Transform your mud kitchen into the Snow Queen or King's diner. Add fake snow which can serve as ice cream - you can even add food colouring to make different 'flavours'. Loose parts make for great sprinkles or decorations so think about including sticks (for chocolate flakes), petals, shells and leaves.

Enjoy!

There really is no excuse for not enjoying outdoor play in the winter months. Remember to wrap up warm (staff too!) and role model the fantastic fun you can have outside. The winter outdoor space looks very different to other times of the year, opening up lines of communication about change, seasons, and temperatures. There are also plenty of opportunities for awe and wonder - think of those beautiful frosty cobwebs!