Outdoor fun during the winter months

This is a guest post by Marie from Tummy 2 Mummy – you can read more of her fab blog here

I love the winter, the cosy evenings and getting wrapped up warm. But, with a toddler sometimes it not as easy as the summer months,  where Jasmine would happily splash in her paddling pool and spends most of the days ecstatic in the garden.  There’s no reason that the outdoor adventures need to stop just because it’s colder, wrap little ones up warm and there lots of great things to do. Here are some of our favourites.

Walk to the park

We a lucky to have two play parks close to our house and Jasmine loves them. She loves running around, the slide and she especially loves jumping in all the puddles (no matter how muddy it is). At first I panicked when she got covered in mud, but the smile on her face taught me to relax a little. I decided it was just mud and would wash off, so I let her explore and it’s now one of her favourite things to do. The best thing about the park is that it’s so easy to get to, and often we have the whole park to ourselves.

Play in the garden

Jasmine has a playhouse which she adores. I hear her chatting away to herself whilst moving all the things in her little kitchen, she had a huge imagination and thrives in there with imaginative play – she can be engrossed for hours. Sometimes I’m allowed to play in there with her – but sometimes I’m not! She also loves playing with all of her summer toys in the garden (Minus the paddling pool). She loves a watering can and will make her own puddles as she is very resourceful.

Go to the beach

As I come from a seaside town, I think the coast is lovely in all seasons. I love a walk down the beach, often we take the dogs out too so its one big family outing. We found some very shallow puddles when we went on New Year’s Day, luckily she was in her wellies so could splash away until her heart was content.

Forest walks

Forest walks are always a fun adventure; you can collect sticks or other items. Create a scavenger hunt or a list of wildlife to spot. It may also be muddy so slash-proof clothes are a must! I like the scenery and no matter what time you go, it looks and sounds lovely.  It’s always worth seeing if there are recommended trails to follow as some can be much longer than others! Top Tip – pack spare clothes, it can get very messy.

Farm trips

Last year we got Jasmine a season ticket for one of our local farm parks and we have definitely got our money’s worth.  She loves walking around seeing and feeding all the animals. Again, I always pack her wellies as it can be very muddy. There are also lots of photo opportunities and is something a bit different from walking.

These are some of my favourite winter haunts, do you have places you especially love to explore outdoors during the winter?