A Peek OUTSIDE in our Winterized Play Garden

 It's hard to believe that less than a week ago, our front yard and play-garden looked like this! That blanket of nearly a foot of snow *almost* sufficiently hid the dead annuals and sunflowers I'd yet to pull from the ground underneath. I realize you're supposed to winterize your garden before the first snowfall, but in all fairness, it is technically still Fall. And being that this was our Pollinators' Garden, I was also still enjoying watching the birds in our yard feast on the sunflower seeds. Plus, those huge sunflower stalks came in really handy (pun intended) when our snowman needed arms!

Meet Snoward Sunflower Hands

Between some major storms this early Fall and this snowfall, our play garden was a total disaster zone. Admittedly, we also haven't spent much time out there aside from some snowy day fun now that it gets dark out by the time both boys are home and up from their afternoon nap. Nonetheless, with Winter Break upon us, it is so important that both the boys get some outdoor play when we can. S is accustomed to being outside twice during his school day (I cannot praise his teachers enough for this!) and we all feel better when we get some fresh air and dirt in our systems.

S was telling my husband how much he misses our garden over the weekend. I have been nostalgic for the toil and triumphs of our warm season projects as well (but not the squash bugs). I fall asleep listening to gardening podcasts. I peruse the pages of seed catalogs. But there are more than 2 seasons in a year and all of them can invite nature based play and exploration. It was time to winterize our garden but not time to put our play garden to sleep! I decided to search Pinterest for some ideas and inspiration on Winter play gardens and was quite surprised to find so little. Why are we holing up indoors all winter long? Certainly there are temperatures and conditions that are better suited to indoor play (and I'll have some great nature based play activities to share this season for those times), but on many days where we live, we can certainly still get out there and play.

Child-sized tools like snow shovels and gardening tools are great for use in snow, mud, sand, and everything in between!

So after some hefty tugging and pulling, sifting and sorting, reorganizing and help from my husband getting things from our lawn to the dumpster, our play garden is ready!

What a difference a week makes--all that snow has melted, making our play garden the perfect setting for a mud kitchen.

"There's no bad weather, just bad clothing." Winter weather outdoor play calls for some different setups and strategies. Clothing is one thing to consider. Waterproof boots in snow and muddy conditions are a definite bonus. Dressing children (and adults) in warm enough outerwear to stay comfortable and dry but not too much that they become overheated is a must. Layering is a good idea so things can be peeled off as needed. Having your indoor space ready to receive those piles of wet and muddy winter clothes is also helpful. We usually throw down an old towel right inside, set a change of slippers or shoes on the first of our stairs just across from the front door and perhaps even set out a plastic laundry basket to collect things ready for the wash.

Different Seasons Call for Different Tools: Winter is not a season here that's conducive to leaving a water source or jug of bubbles outside. Our two spigot jugs that once housed both of those liquids have had their season in the sun and sadly had to be disposed of having both succumbed to weather damage earlier in the Fall. Winter here, however, is a very wet season--so between rainfall, melted snow and general soggy conditions, I don't worry about the water source that will keep our mud kitchen up and running. In fact, Winter is perfect mud kitchen weather! Whether your yard is covered in mud (like ours is this week) or covered in snow (like ours was last week), it's a great time for cooking up mudpies and winter stews and brews. I especially love the sense of wonder and curiosity that is ignited each time a pan or tin of water freezes overnight! I'll never forget how intrigued S was last year to discover a tiny tin pail that had been filled with water the day before completely frozen into a block of ice the following morning. It inspired us to design and freeze our own ice sun catcher (pictured below to the left).

Given that conditions are so soggy, it's also not the best time to leave certain materials outdoors. For our mud kitchen and play garden, I generally prefer real tools--real, metal pots and pans, real gardening tools in kid-friendly sizes, etc. We do have some plastic toys and tools as well. Nature's loose parts continue to come into play throughout our yard and garden, and while the bounty of products in Nature's grocery store is different in the Winter, it's still a great time to find pine cones, rocks, stones, seed pods, sticks and more. 

Cleaning Up & Opening Up Shop: Winterizing a play garden here does mean cleaning up a bit. It's a good time to get rid of things that are damaged or no longer used. It's also a good time to make your garden welcoming to the little critters and feathered friends who do stick around for winter. I finally got up our bird feeder and picked up a bag of seed. Having a water source is a great way to attract feathered friends, so I scrubbed out the little bird bath we made together over the summer using a metal pie tin with some stones and glass mosaic tiles in the bottom and refilled it with some fresh water. This is a very simple activity kids can help with and they will even enjoy the process of cleaning it out with a wash cloth and warm water every so often to refill and refresh. Birds prefer to feel protected, so keeping it near a bush or tree at ground level can make them feel most comfortable. The boys will be helping to make some bird and squirrel treats over the winter break as well.

On the Go: Parks and many nature preserves are open year round. They may not be at their most populated, but what better time to go on a nature walk together or take a scavenger hunt for signs of winter? Particularly if your own yard or outdoor space is not winter ready, it can be nice to take in a bit of nature away from home when time and conditions permit.

A Splash of Color: Winter can certainly be a monotone season. Greys, whites and blues blanket the world around us. Colorful ribbons and tools add an element of variety to our play space. We also still enjoy using our sidewalk chalk when the sidewalks are visible and accessible. But what about when we're  buried under snow? We carry out a bin of spray bottles and squirt bottles filled with colored water, paint brushes and watercolor pallets and use the snow as our canvas!

Winter may not be a season of growth and gardening in the traditional sense. But it doesn't have to be a season of feeling cooped up and shut in. We can enjoy some greenery inside as we strive and struggle to keep our succulents that were so happy outdoors over the summer at least half as happy inside on our kitchen table. We can even plant some wheat grass inside or try our hands at forcing bulbs or plant a tray of microgreens. And in the meantime, rather than laying in waiting for Spring to come, we can lay in the snow and enjoy the Winter!

We'll be back soon with some more great Winter play activities. Until then...

Happy Playing!