Family Corner

The YMCA is thrilled to be an active partner with the families and communities we serve. We recognize that parents, guardians, and families are the best experts on their children, and we are excited to work with families, supplying resources to help extend the Outdoor Play experience at home!

We encourage children to discover the natural world around them, by experiencing it first-hand. 

What does the word SQUISH really feel like as we walk barefoot in the mud? 
What does SPLASH look like as we jump from puddle to puddle? 
What does SWOOSH sound like as the wind dances around the trees in our yards? 

The adventure begins... 

When adults carefully examine how outdoor play experiences contribute to children's development, they gain a better appreciation of its importance and how it sets the foundation for lifelong learning (B. Dietz). 

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Family Outdoor Play Ideas 

  • Go for an adventure or scavenger hunt around your neighbourhood!

  • Take indoor activities outside. Colouring, reading stories, playing with Lego - this can all be done outside!

  • Go for a picnic in a different park every month.

  • Bug Safari. Bring magnifying glasses and go searching for insects. Observe ants, beetles, and caterpillars. Draw or talk about what they do/look like.

  • Save up some of your boxes from online shopping and deliveries and bring them outside with some other materials. See where your imagination takes you!

  • Build a fairy house. Use natural materials to build small shelters under trees or beside rocks. Add storytelling to make it magical.

  • Go for a walk at dusk or in the dark with flashlights or glow sticks. Listen for nighttime animals or stargaze together.

  • Set up a playful course using logs, stones, sticks, and ropes for jumping, balancing, and crawling.

There’s No Such Thing as ‘Bad Weather’ 

Be mindful of the language you use when discussing the outdoors. Often we associate negative labels with weather that is less than ideal (in an adult’s perspective). Check out these tips on how to frame different weather conditions for positive outdoor play!  

Why we say YES to MESS!  

In thoughtfully designed outdoor play spaces, children have the opportunity to engage in hands-on, full-body experiences that support learning across all areas of development. Getting messy is a natural and essential part of this process. Authentic interaction with the natural environment often means encountering dirt, mud, sand, and water, all of which are not only fun but beneficial to children’s health.

Research has shown that exposure to these natural elements can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of developing allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune conditions later in life. Embracing the mess is part of embracing healthy growth. To learn more about this, check out this report from the National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/Dirt_Report_2012.ashx

To ensure every child can fully participate in outdoor play regardless of weather or personal comfort levels, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario has invested in mud suits for all children in our programs. These suits allow children to explore freely and confidently, rain or shine, without concern for getting wet or dirty.