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Are you an Early Years Weather Warrior?

A new month is upon us. The British weather is notoriously wet & damp and our seasons have followed the same pattern year in & year out!

Puddle splashing

Autumn brings no surprises for us, with colder damp mornings and grey skies.

So let us finally be prepared for the changes happening. Be prepared for our mission as weather warriors to seek out the beauty in each & every day.

To go to our jobs equipped for the day ahead. It’s no good expecting little children to embrace the cold damp weather, if they see us as adults looking miserable & unmotivated to explore this beautiful season of rich reds, vibrant golds and caramel loveliness.

We have all seen it, or perhaps this used to be you?

Asked to go outside and you are ill prepared! Reluctant to leave the safety of your room, reluctant to venture outside to the wet & cold.

Once outside you feel it ! The dread of being out here for ……. ? You automatically check your watch!

How long!

Your shoes not as waterproof as you once thought as water soaks your insoles and will take all day to dry!

Your summer coat now dripping wet and providing no protection as the wind whips around the building or across the open space.

Your little ears turning pink, then red. You rub them frantically trying to circulate the blood back into the skin.

You can’t sit and play, because your trousers will get wet & mucky from the damp muddy ground- so then you hover and sulk. You mooch about cold, unmotivated and cross at the world.

You get cross at your manager for sending you outdoors.

You unintentionally moan at the children for splashing to close or bringing you a worm that’s covered in earth, for fear the muck will touch your hands or gain a place beneath your newly manicured nails.

We have all heard the saying “It’s not the weather that’s inappropriate it’s your clothing”.

Therefore as conscientious adults, today you are going to transform into a weather warrior.

Hunt out your additional layers, your warmers socks and welly boots. Hunt out your waterproof trousers & coat and a hat to keep your ears warm.

Bag up some spare clothes to take to work, just in case you get soggy socks or your trousers get damp.

You are going to become a goddess or god of outdoor play! You may not look the most fashionable, however YOU will be dry. You will be WARM & you will be PREPARED! I guarantee you’ll be HAPPIER!

Be a role model to your little ones. Be prepared for your day ahead.

Be a willing participant in slaying the day and embracing all the British weather has to offer.

The weather always seems worse from behind a window. If you are wrapped up nice and cosy, there is nothing more amazing than getting outdoors. To walk over a carpet of crisp autumnal leaves & to engage our little ones and share with them the magic of a new month & a glorious season.

Sadly too often in early years, staff are still reluctant to get outdoors, to be adventurous about the day. To seek to overcome challenges that each day may bring.

Our little ones need us to be weather warriors to embrace our glorious seasons, to be enthusiastic participants in the day ahead. To choose a life of laughter and excitement outdoors. New experiences, discoveries & opportunities to be curious & inquisitive.

How can our children experience the changing seasons if trapped in a artificially heated room with artificial lighting?

How can they:

Explore. Be adventurous. Discover. Be curious. Inquisitive. Develop gross motor skills. Fine motor skills. Be risk takers. How can we expect our little ones to love our planet if we hold them captive in the stuffy confines of our rooms? The confines of 4 walls, a temperature controlled by adults, the decor controlled by adults. The resources and experiences controlled by adults.

Be a weather warrior, slay the day! Let the weather be the teacher. Get outdoors!

Raise your energy, your enthusiasm and your determination, to offer our little ones the best a day can bring!

Seek out your boots and your warmer coat. Get prepared for the month ahead.

Be proactive in your role as a weather warrior, you are the game changer. YOU are the person who can bring energy to that day.

Let your children lead the way, for they see magic all around. They just need you to be willing participants and open the classroom to the world.

It’s us as ADULTS who are in charge of ourselves, our own moods and well being. It’s US as adults who can prevent us feeling mardy or upset ! It’s us as adults who can ENSURE we look after our OWN well being.

Be a weather warrior, be prepared for the day ahead. You’ll thank YOURSELF for it in the end.

Nobody likes coming inside with damp clothing or shoes. Nobody likes to spend the remainder of the day with a frizzy mane or limp hair that dries in strange & unattractive ways. Nobody likes to look in the mirror and see your waterproof mascara was no longer waterproof or god forbid one eyebrow has slid off your face!

Look after YOURSELF and in turn you’ll be offering our little ones the opportunities outdoors that they deserve. You’ll be a WARM DRY & WILLING participant in their learning experiences

YOU’LL be an ACTIVE participant in LIFE!

Be a weather warrior and slay the day!

Be Curious. Have fun & Make a difference!

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