Yet another way of empowering parents, caregivers and teachers.
Let’s be honest, as it gets darker and colder, no one really wants to take young children to the park. It’s always been remarkable to me that children don’t seem to feel the frigid temperatures in the same way adults do. From an educators’ standpoint, gross motor work at a park or playground is important for all children and can be incredibly helpful for children with special needs. Having said that, anyone who spends time with young children knows that running around is essential!
I could go into a long explanation of the value of outdoor play, but instead I will share with you Educators Secret #147: Grabber Hand Warmers. (Ok, truth be told, I picked that number indiscriminately, but the item is still fantastic!) Cracking one of these little gems and keeping it in your pocket will keep you toasty while your children run like lunatics. I buy the packs of 10 pairs. If you want to make them really economical, use 1 instead of 2 and pass them from one pocket to the other. While the link brings you to Amazon.com, I recently purchased them at an even lower price at TJMaxx.
Note: Stay tuned for Part 2: Gross motor activities to do indoors, when even hand warmers can’t help!