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The last picture I took was of a snow angel my sister made while we went on a walk this past weekend. I was more looking for pictures of untouched nature (as seen in my previous pictures) but, I was inspired to take a picture of this because it reminded me that it’s the simple things that really leave an impact on children. Not everything needs to be planned or follow a certain schedule, there is so many opportunities for children in the snow. It is important to sit back and allow children to explore on their own, allowing them to use risky play outdoors. This is how they learn and push their own boundaries. They develop skills to handle their nervousness and the fear that comes with trying new things. How can they do this if we’re constantly right beside them and stating, “be careful” or “watch out.” This is what causes a child’s fear. When bringing children outside in the snow, I will let them explore at their own pace and on their own. I will still be there supervising, but from a safe distance.

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This image was photographed along the ditch bank at my family farm. I loved the look of the smooth clear ice that layered on top of the field. I also enjoyed looking at the various plants, cattails, and others in hibernation for the season. I realized as I was walking along this ditch bank that I don’t really know a lot about winter plants or even how plants going into hibernation for the winter. What is their cycle like? Are there a lot of plants that are able to withstand the cold? Looking back at what I was taught in biology, I concluded that we aren’t really educated on winter plants. I feel like all my biology classes were based off plants we see through-out the spring/summer when it’s warm outside. I think this would be a beneficial teaching prompt for children. Getting them outside and looking at a variety of plants, maybe some are still growing, or others have shut down and decayed from the winter. Either way I think what we incorporate into our spring teaching should also be taught in the winter, giving them the knowledge if winter wildlife. This is a good way to remove the barrier of fear or lack of teaching resources when going outdoors in the winter with children. When children are educated and used to seeing something (winter plants) they lose or don’t obtain that fear of the outdoors.

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This image was taken on my early afternoon walk, down a lane across my house. I was inspired to take this picture because of the bright sun over above me. The sun was very bright, and it reflected on the snow, creating a bumpy looking texture on the top layer. This image reminded that winter isn’t just dark and gloomy, the sun still is out. Often, daycare centers disregard going outside during the winter because of the cold, ice, snow, and the preparation of getting all children ready. I think the process of dressing each kid in snow pants, jackets, mittens, boots, etc. is totally worth it. If children are only going outdoors when it’s warm outside, they aren’t going to have those experiences in the snow (making snow angels, snowmen, touching it) which can also potentially leave to a fear of the winter.

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This picture was taken on a golf course behind my house. I was inspired to take this picture because I found it interesting how different it looked covered with snow and ice, compared to the dark green grass and water it usually entitles. The cart pathway was covered in snow but did have footprints along it, indicating that people were still using this to navigate around the course. The bushy trees that lined the ditches were now thin and fragile, I could see the fields past the golf course. Normally these trees act as a border, keeping the course private from cars driving by. From this image, I learned that the weather outdoors can completely change the way our locations look and feel. The effects of the snow and cold whether resulted in different use for the location. People no longer golf here due to the snow, but they can still walk through or play in the snow. This new understanding can be incorporated when working with children by first, educating children on the weather changes. This could include asking them what changes they see outside, what they smell, feel, or hear. Encouraging children to go outside, even when it’s cold will help prevent these fears children grasp of the cold and allow them to appreciate the beauty of the winter even if it’s different. Winter is unique in its own way, the snow and winter atmosphere open up so many different ways we can use the outdoors with children.