About 9:30 each morning, the noise level goes up a notch or two at Rose Rock School. It means everyone is transitioning from morning snack to their next big stretch of play time. Anticipation and excitement are bubbling under the surface as the children await the glorious freedom of…. the play yard. Yes, even in chilly winds and cold temperatures, the children are outside.
But why take the children outdoors, when we could stay warm and cozy in the school? Why bother with the bundling and clothing changes? Well, because they need it! Being outdoors gives them a release from structure and the space to move freely- running, jumping, swinging, digging, rolling down hills- all essential to healthy physical development. It also cultivates a connection with the natural rhythms of the seasons and gives them an authentic sensory experience of the world.
In order to give them this time in the cold, we must prepare them with lots of warmth. We start our morning with plenty of warm greetings, hugs and a moment to put on slippers. At snack time, their bowls are filled with hot porridge, egg muffins just out of the oven or homemade bread and fruit. Then, beeswax salve is rubbed onto their cheeks to protect their sweet faces from the wind. And most of all, we layer up their clothes!
Dr. Susan R. Johnson* explains the importance of warmth:
“Warmth is probably one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. Not only the warmth of our love but also keeping their physical body warm. Children are developing their bodies especially during the first 7 years of their lives. An infant and a young child will always feel warm unless they are on the verge of hypothermia because they have an accelerated metabolic rate. If we don’t provide them with the layers of cotton, silk, and wool to insulate their bodies, then they must use some of their potential “growth” energy to heat their bodies.
This same energy would be better utilized in further developing their brain, heart, liver, lungs etc. In addition, being cold decreases immunity. We are all more susceptible to the germs and viruses that are always around us when we are wet and cold. When our body has to expend extra energy to keep warm then less energy is available to “fight” off infections.”
How do we know if the children are warm enough? Generally we follow a rule of two layers on top and bottom (before coats or jackets) when it’s 60 or below. Otherwise we follow this advice from Dr. Mary Kelly Sutton**:
The fingers and toes should be as warm as the warmest part of the body. If they are not, the child is dealing with cold stress, and you can help him/her a great deal by changing the clothing so that fingers and toes become as warm as they should be. Shunting blood away from the extremities is a survival mechanism in the body. It protects the vital organs (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys).
We continue to nurture them after we come in for lunch as well, using the same practices- nourishing food and drink, cozy clothes, a sweet home-like space, and togetherness. It warms us all against the chilly winds of winter in Oklahoma.
*The Importance of Warmth, an article by Dr. Susan R. Johnson can be found at her website, YouandYourChildsHealth.org.
**Warmth, Strength, and Freedom, a blog article by Dr. Mary Kelly Sutton was featured on The Parenting Passageway in 2009.