Posts Tagged ‘rain’

18 Jun

Rain gear

Posted by kidsandnature in weather. Tagged: , , , , , .

I honestly think that a lot of the reason why people don’t like the rain is that they had a bad experience when they were a kid.  Too many of us had ponchos or windbreakers as rain gear when we were little and, as a result, the rain meant being cold and wet.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I’m  strong believer in outside in all weather.  Now, to do that, you have to make sure that you and your kids are equipped to be warm and dry.

That starts with making sure that you have the base layer taken care of.  If you live some place where rain and warm go together, you’re all set, but for the cold rains that we used to get on Vancouver Island it means sweats, a hat and mitts – all synthetic of course – likely you have that already, but if not it can be hard for under $30.

Then, look to buy a pair of rubber boots.  For you, you can find a black pair for under $20, and a brightly coloured fun pair for your child at about the same cost.

Then, it’s time for the rain suit.  You want to make sure that you’re covering your legs and your torso.  More so for your child.

There are one piece suits available for kids – we’ve had this one for a while and our three year old loves it.

Two piece suits are also a good idea.  Just make sure that the top is a jacket and not a poncho – sleeves make a big difference.  I also recommend buying fully waterproof for kids over the waterproof breathable fabrics. You’re going to replacing this stuff often as your kids grow and, with that in mind, cheaper is better.

So, now you’re outfitted with quality rain gear, you’re going to be dry in the rain.  Now you can get out there and hike, paddle or just go splashing in all weather.

16 Jun

What to do on a rainy day

Posted by kidsandnature in weather. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Looks to be pouring outside today.  This spring has been typical of the past few here in Alberta – wet, wet, wet.

Way too often, we think of rainy days as the time to get indoors and watch tv (actually, that seems to be one of the default activities regardless).  With the proper clothing, you can get outdoors in all weather and explore, play and splash in puddles.  Now, I don’t want anyone rushing out and buying the rain gear that would allow them to be outdoors for a three week expedition at sea.  That’s overkill.  But, if you and your kids have rain pants, a rain jacket and rubber boots (probably about $40 worth of stuff each), you’ll be all set for short trips outdoors in the rain (or for a week long canoe trip).

So, what do you do when you get out there.

First – make sure that you spend at least a few minutes jumping in puddles and enjoying the water splashing up.

Then, you can set up cups to see how much rain is falling.  You had talk about where rain comes from (the water cycle) and imagine where it’s going.

Play a bit in the puddles – let your kids touch them, maybe dig some channels in the mud if you’re near mud and watch where the water flows.  Float sticks down a river (assuming that it’s not flowing too quickly).

Make sure that you get good and wet, sing some songs about rain (it’s raining, it’s storming is a personal favourite of mine), and dancing a bit.  Play tag, laugh a lot and make sure that you go inside when the first one of you starts getting cold.  That way it will still be fun next time!