Little ones outside

What does everyone do with the wee ones when you play outside? My 13 mos old (my daughter) can't do a whole lot outside as the snow is so high. The older ones want to play in the backyard, have me pull them in the sled etc but I find I am spending most of my time with my daughter, taking her out of the stroller to help her walk a bit, tried pulling her in the sled (didn't like it much. All of these things are very physically demanding. Any other ideas? We go for a walk sometimes but the other two like this less. Just also thinking to the future when I have another little one.

I have no idea. Winter bites! In my new neighbourhood, people shovel their sidewalks poorly. There's not enough snow to pull a sled, but too much to push a stroller through. The snow in my back yard is half way to my knees, so the kids can't even walk. I live in a townhouse, so our postage stamp really doesn't lend well to sled rides. I spent 20 minutes of sheer torture and sweat wrestling my all under 2 group into their snowsuits, boots and mittens....oh those freakin' mittens! Within 5 minutes of getting outside and plunking them in the snow, half of them were crying. I calmed them down, then we spent another 5 minutes looking at each other as I attempted to make snowballs interesting. Then my nephew lifted his arms and said 'done?'. Yup, DONE! I promised them that we wouldn't do that again until next winter when they're taller. Their parents all agreed.

Is it April yet?

It makes me think of the principal in Thomas' Snowsuit - in Arizona where no one ever wears a snowsuit :)

Heh heh, you made me laugh so hard. That is exactly how I feel everyday! At least we are already dressed to walk the b & a to school so it is not an "extra" chore getting them dressed.

It's hard finding a balance. You want them to get fresh air and run around and frankly I like to be outside as well. Bring on spring!

Winter blows lol........Me and my hubby shovelled all the snow in our backyard into a mountain for the bigger kids to slide down and now my little ones can walk around and we are all loving the backyard that being said we just did this last week cause i think we are losing our mind couldn't take it anymore you could say lol i think people think we are a litlle crazy
Not much longer ladies

I don't have any school runs as I don't take that age group. You must be the most wonderful person in the world to do that and deal with GD snowsuits on a daily basis. Nope, I'm out. I love to be outside too, but these guys are just not into it. That was absolute misery today and really, I was sweating so much from the effort that I was actually offending myself. We'll wait for the sidewalks to clear and go in the stroller. The parents all got a giggle. And my sister....my SISTER, chose after hearing about this to say "oh, yeah, he doesn't like the snow". Excellent.

Yup, bring on the spring. We're out for at least 2 hours in the spring and fall, depending on the weather. In the summer, we often pack a picnic and disappear for most of the day. Love it!

I like your mountain idea....wonder if I can convince my sons to do that for me :)

Ugh. Winter can be the bane of any daycare provider! Isn't our jobs the greatest thing in the warm, sunny breezy months...then winter hits and I feel like I'm a prisoner in my own house. The kiddies go outside and after 15min are whining to come in :( Hope Spring comes early in Toronto

I feel your pain torontokids!

Oh yes, I feel your pain! I have to take my son to the bus in the mornings, so I have to get everyone dressed and out...6 including my daughter (plus my son, but he gets himself ready). I have it down to about 20 minutes to get everyone dressed and into my six seater stroller, but it is a workout for sure and not enjoyable. Once we get my son onto the bus, if it is not colder than -15 with the windchill, we play outside because I don't want all that dressing to be for nothing! We have cleared a big area in our front yard for the kids...there are snow mountains all around it because we live on a corner lot and the plows deposit all their snow there. The bigger kids love to climb the mountains and slide down and I bring little play dishes out for them to cook snow food, also provide shovels and a sled and sometimes food colouring and water in spray bottles to paint the snow. The two 16 month olds in my care have a hard time walking in their boots even when the snow is well cleared. I have to exersaucers on my front porch where they can sit and babble to each other...that helped a lot earlier in the winter and now they are starting to be able to play a little bit on the packed snow. I always bring a chair so I can sit and hold one on my lap or they can use it to hang onto. I guess I am glad in a way that I have to get them all out for the bus run in the morning, because we play outside a lot on days when I might not have gone to the effort otherwise.

I have all of my houses and playsets outside still. When the snow get's high I shovel a path around the play units so they can walk to them easily. I also make sure they have lots of shovels and the sand toys. The little ones that can't hold the big shovels will sit in a snow pile and use the little sand shovels. I also bring the balls outside and they kick them around.

my dck range from 12months-4. I bought enough mini shovels for them all to play with. I also got out some of summer shovels and pails and they mix the snow around with that. Thats a real hit. They play in the backyard, go down the slide, play in play house etc. We have colored the snow too with spray bottles and food coloring and the kids loved that especially the little ones! We go outside everyday for bus run so kids are used to it now. Somedays its 15 mins somedays more just depending on everyones mood.

We play on the drive way, it's always clear of snow. The big piles on the sides make for a great fence and then I block the end with my long choo choo train and a couple of strollers all with me standing guard :-) They love it, they shovel, ride on toys, play basket ball etc., sometimes we stay out for 1.5 hours but we do go out every single day that it is warmer than -10 :-) I AM CANADIAN LOL

I also have my kids play in the driveway and garage which we cleared to make kid friendly. My husband and daughter built a "snow house" in the front yard so the kids can walk on the packed down snow. It's great! But don't get me wrong...I cannot WAIT until winter is done! I'm so looking forward to spending most of the day outside in our great backyard!!! :)

I have lucked out winter has been relatively mild. Most of my kids are fairly independent and can get their snow suits on themselves, even those under 2. I help with the zippers with the younger ones, but do expect them to try first. I strive to have the kids able to dress themselves by the time they are 4 or going to preschool. When they reach kindergarten age they need to be able to this themselves as the teachers do not have the time to do any of this for them.

We are outside at least 3 days a week and dread the weeks it's too cold. My crew get very loud and shack wacky without outside time. My youngest will sit and play or watch the others until she is comfortable enough to walk on the snow. Playing and moving in the snow is a great way to work on balance on coordination, being outside is an important part of growing and learning.

I leave my water table outside all year to be a snow table. I have a small cube slide and a larger slide and we keep pails and shovels under the big slide that are used all year round, right now they are being used in the snow. I have a sled that fits 2 children and they take turns having me pull them around on it.

Children should be able to be put anywhere in any season and use their imaginations and find ways to play. That's normal and natural. In all seasons I'm pretty much standing around monitoring for safety and the children do their own thing. I'm also very lucky that I don't do school runs.

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Originally Posted by Trace of Angels

........we stay out for 1.5 hours but we do go out every single day that it is warmer than -10 :-) I AM CANADIAN LOL

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I do this also. And I love your answer Trace of Angels because I'm always telling people who don't like winter that they are baaaaaaad Canadians, lol! But I'm tired of being housebound and wouldn't mind spring to hurry up.