Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Voice of Play.
Here in Upstate New York it is already getting pretty chilly – we have even had our first snow of the year (although it hasn’t stuck around) but this does not mean that we are hiding indoors. My family loves to play outside year round! We go to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins, we go to the tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree, and we spend a lot of time on the swings and in the yard. There is no reason to stay inside when it gets cold out when there is so much fun to be had.
You could even say that my daughters look forward to sledding and to building their first snowman. In the fall, before the snow, we still enjoy the outdoors. We love to rake (and play in) the leaves. I feel that it is super important for kids to get their energy out and to breath fresh air at least once a day. The Voice of Play’s goal is to educate those about the benefits of play and to influence change in the way most people think about play. Play shouldn’t always be seen as a silly, extracurricular, optional activity, but rather an essential tool in a child’s development. Research shows that outdoor free play gives kids many valuable benefits, including the development of physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills.
I encourage you to take your kids out and enjoy the fall and the winter months – take trips to local parks, take hikes, and just have fun! Isn’t that what life is all about?
