Why Winter Playgrounds Are The Best
Winter in Saskatchewan can be a tough time to entertain the kids. With the weather changing to frigid almost overnight, a lot of kids don’t understand why they have to stop partaking in their favourite outdoor activities, like the playground. For most of us adults, the thought of spending hours outside at the playground in winter does not fill us with happiness. There are many concerns that parents have, like whether the park is safe or not, which are all valid. With the weather changing rapidly in Saskatchewan, here are some reasons why the playground is the best in wintertime.
1. Change
Not only are the kids out of the house and the backyard, the seasons have also changed. The addition of snow to their everyday playground creates a new challenge for kids to create new games, explore differently, and organize themselves better. The slides go faster, forts can be built, snowball fights had, and the metal being slippery creates new challenges and learning opportunities.
2. Challenge
Winter gear is heavy; the boots are made to slosh through snow all day and still keep the little toes warm and dry. This is one way that winter playgrounds cause a different challenge for the youngins, learning to navigate their regular playground with the hinderance of mittens, hats, snowsuits, and boots opens up new ways to learn hand eye coordination and balance. Because of all this weight, kids usually tire out more quickly on the playground in winter, which bodes well for the negative temperatures.
Read More: How to Dress a Toddler for the Weather
2. Open Play
The thing about playgrounds in winter is that they are usually empty. There’s not many people that think of going to the playground for winter play. This means that kids have more space to explore and create memories, without the limitations of bigger kids or lack of structures to play on due to overpopulation.
Read More: The Importance of Free Play
4. Fun
Just because the seasons have changed, doesn’t mean the fun has! The playground, if built well, will have just as many things to do in the winter as the summer. While monkey bars might be too cold, the slides are faster and play structures make excellent walls for forts.
5. Ease
Taking the kids to the playground is an easy way to burn off energy and to spend an afternoon. It’s easier than hiking, snowshoeing, or going somewhere further. Driving to the playground also means that the car is right there if something goes wrong and can be a great place to warm up if someone gets cold. It’s easy to leave a playground, easy to get there, and easy to manage the kids on them. If something goes really wrong, it’s easy to leave the playground, which can’t be said if you’re a kilometre into the trail.