Childhood Doesn't Have an Off-Season

Nov 1

There's something magical about winter.

The crunch of frozen ground beneath our boots. The sparkle of frost on bare branches. The excitement of discovering animal tracks, breaking the ice on a puddle, or seeing our breath in the cold morning air.

The warmth of a crackling fire, a steaming cup of tea between cold hands, and the pleasure of sharing a homemade meal with friends beneath the open sky.

Every season has its own pleasures, but winter brings a special kind of beauty. The landscape grows quieter, the air becomes crisp, and familiar places take on an entirely different character. A garden that was overflowing with vegetables just a few months earlier now rests beneath the frost, while the animals grow their winter coats and settle into the changing rhythm of the season.

Here in Idaho, we're fortunate to live in a place where the outdoors is part of everyday life. From summer days along rivers and lakes to autumn hikes, snowy mountain adventures, and bright winter mornings, each season offers something worth experiencing.

In Norway, there's a concept called friluftsliv, meaning roughly "open-air living." It's the simple idea that spending time outdoors is part of a good life, whatever the season. It's a philosophy that feels right at home in Idaho.

And perhaps one of the loveliest things about spending time outdoors throughout the year is how familiar we become with the changing seasons.

A puddle we splashed through yesterday becomes a sheet of ice today. Frost reveals delicate patterns on leaves and fences. Bare branches expose birds' nests hidden all summer. The first snowfall transforms familiar paths, while animal tracks tell stories of creatures that passed through before we arrived.

Children who spend time outdoors throughout the year witness these changes firsthand. They notice how the garden changes as temperatures fall, how animals adapt to the cold, and how the landscape continues to change even during the quietest months. The familiar becomes new again with every season.

And there are benefits beyond the discoveries themselves.

Natural daylight helps regulate our circadian rhythms, influencing sleep, energy, and mood. During winter's shorter days, time outdoors gives us an opportunity to experience the daylight that's available, even beneath cloudy skies.

Research has also connected children's contact with nature to physical activity and mental well-being. A 2021 systematic review published in Pediatrics, examining 296 studies, found positive associations between time in nature and children's health, particularly physical activity and mental well-being.

Winter offers plenty of opportunities for movement, too. Walking across uneven or frozen ground, climbing, balancing, carrying firewood, tending animals, and exploring a landscape transformed by the season all engage our bodies in different ways.

There's satisfaction in accomplishing something on a cold morning, whether it's carrying feed to the goats, collecting eggs, or discovering how to navigate a slippery patch of ground. Along the way, children develop resourcefulness, confidence, independence, and a growing awareness of their own abilities.

They also become more familiar with their own needs. They learn when another layer would feel good, when it's time to warm up, and how to adapt as the weather changes throughout the day.

There's a saying we particularly like: “There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

Warm layers, wool socks, waterproof boots, and weather-appropriate outerwear make an enormous difference in how comfortably we can enjoy the outdoors. It's much the same preparation we make for a day of skiing, hiking, or exploring Idaho's mountains in winter.

At Urban Green Harvest, we follow the seasons and adjust our daily rhythm with the weather. We also have sheltered spaces available when conditions call for them. With a little preparation and the right clothing, there's so much to enjoy about spending winter outdoors.

As autumn gives way to winter on our homestead, the rhythm of our days changes.

The garden rests, but the farm is still full of life. Our goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and other animals still need daily care. Water troughs freeze, eggs need collecting, and there's always something that needs doing.

Our outdoor kitchen continues preparing warm breakfasts, hearty soups, and homemade lunches. The fire becomes a gathering place for tea, stories, conversations, and time spent together.

There are muddy boots, rosy cheeks, cold noses, warm hands, and the satisfaction of a day well spent outdoors.

And as the weeks pass, the children experience winter in all its variety. The first hard frost, the changing light, the occasional snowfall, and the return of a sunny afternoon that feels almost like spring. Each day brings something a little different, even in the same familiar place.

There's something valuable about growing up familiar with the seasons. About knowing what a cold morning feels like, noticing when the days begin to lengthen, and understanding that the natural world continues its work even in the quietest months of the year.

Winter is a season of discovery, connection, warmth, and wonder, with its own pleasures and possibilities.

Childhood doesn't have an off-season. And neither should our appreciation for the world around us.