Unwrapping the magic of playing outdoors this Christmas with tickit 🌲

Nature as a learning tool and extended classroom

Let’s explore the educational benefits of outdoor play at Christmas…

The festive season offers a unique opportunity to transform outdoor play into an extraordinary learning experience for children. Many caregivers will have more time than usual at home with children and while it can be tempting to stay indoors in the warm, the crisp winter air can also provide an incredible classroom beyond four walls.

Christmas outdoor play offers an enriching educational environment allowing children to develop critical skills by engaging with their winter surroundings:

Science and Observation

• Explore and discuss temperature changes
• Understand and research weather patterns
• Observe how plants and wildlife adapt to winter
• Actively learn about frost, ice formation, and snow properties

Physical Development

• Improve gross motor skills through active play
• Build strength and coordination
• Enhance balance navigating uneven, potentially slippery surfaces
• Practice risk assessment in changing environments

Sensory Learning

• Experience different textures (crisp leaves, frost, cold surfaces)
• Listen to unique winter sounds (crunching ground underfoot, the change in bird song)
• Understand temperature variations
• Develop spatial awareness in changing landscapes

Emotional and Social Skills

• Step out of comfort zone and embrace the winter weather
• Learn teamwork through collaborative outdoor activities
• Develop problem-solving skills
• Practice communication in group play

Getting outside in nature does not have to mean hiking through sprawling forests and woodland if this is not available to you. A walk to your local park offers plenty of sensory and educational opportunities to young children, as does studying fallen leaves on pavements, noticing and discussing the differences in trees you see throughout the year and admiring frost patterns!

Getting outside this Christmas, in any capacity can allow children to connect with nature, learn through active play, and the explore magic of the natural world around them. Let’s get exploring 🍂 ❄️🐦