The winter season can be challenging for early childhood educators and caregivers.
The combination of cold weather, flu season, and indoor routines makes it essential to prioritize children's physical, emotional, and mental well-being. By implementing practical strategies, educators can support young children, and themselves, in staying healthy throughout the colder months.
1. Promote Good Hygiene Practices
Teaching young children about good hygiene is critical to preventing the spread of germs and illness in early childhood education settings. Simple practices such as regular handwashing, covering mouths when sneezing or coughing, and avoiding face-touching can make a big difference. Consider incorporating songs or fun activities to make hygiene lessons engaging and memorable for young children.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Handwashing Stations: Set up colourful posters and visual cues near sinks to remind children of proper handwashing steps. Try practicing handwashing as a group activity before meals and after outdoor play, and be sure to model good handwashing practices after diaper changes or trips to the bathroom.
- Hygiene Puppets: Use puppets to demonstrate sneezing into an elbow or using a tissue properly. Turn it into a storytelling session to make hygiene fun and relatable.
- Games: Try implementing games in the classroom that teach children about proper handwashing. EX: Have the children cover their hands in sand or glitter and then demonstrate how they can wash it all off on their own.
2. Encourage a Balanced Diet
Nutrition plays a key role in strengthening the immune system. Providing or encouraging a balanced diet that includes fruits rich in vitamin C, lean proteins, and whole grains can help boost immunity during the winter months. Additionally, incorporating snacks like citrus fruits, yogurt, and nuts into meal plans can contribute to overall health.
Depending on how your center operates meal times, you might not have control over the food served at meal time. Here are a few ideas you can bring into the classroom as an educator.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Cooking Activities: Simple cooking or snack-making sessions such as learning how to wash fruit and assemble fruit salads or how to apply vegetable based toppings to a pizza.
- Storytelling: Incorporate engaging books and interactive storytelling to teach children about the food groups and the importance of a balanced diet. Highlight how specific foods can boost immunity, support their overall health, and influence how they feel.
- Family Collaboration: Share simple and fun healthy snack ideas or easy vegetable and fruit meal suggestions to inspire parents looking for quick and nutritious options to add to their family's routine at home. Additionally, consider creating a classroom cookbook, filled with ideas and recipes inspired by the kids themselves, to make healthy eating a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone.
3. Support Physical Activity
Cold weather doesn't have to mean an end to physical activity. Incorporate indoor movement games or adapt outdoor activities to suit the season. When heading outdoors, ensure children wear mittens, scarves, and warm layers to prevent conditions like frostbite. Regular movement helps keep children active, boosts their mood, and promotes overall health.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Winter Movement Stations: Create indoor activity stations with jumping, dancing, or yoga to keep children moving on cold days when you are stuck inside.
Snow Play: When safe, engage children in outdoor activities like snowman building to combine fresh air with fun.
- Winter themed games and activities:Try designing a winter-themed activity that can be set up indoors or outdoors, such as a snowball toss. This can be done outside with real snow, having the children form balls and see if they can toss the balls into hula hoops laid out on the ground, or indoors with white pom poms or any other soft material.
—> Check out our list of winter sensory activities here!
4. Ensure Adequate Sleep and Relaxation Opportunities
Sleep is essential for a healthy immune system and mental well-being. Educators can support families by sharing tips for establishing consistent bedtime routines and emphasizing the importance of adequate sleep for young children. Well-rested children are better equipped to learn, play, and fight off illnesses during the colder months.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Proper Nap Routine: Establishing a consistent nap routine in the classroom can help children rest properly. Provide a comfortable, quiet space for napping with soothing music and dark lighting to promote relaxation. Encourage a calm-down period before naps, such as reading a story or practicing deep breathing, to signal to children that it's time to rest. This routine not only supports children's physical health but also contributes to better focus and emotional well-being throughout the day.
- Quiet Zones: Create a calming area with books, cushions and blankets to help children relax throughout the day. This space can serve as a retreat where kids can unwind, even if just for a few minutes, to recharge their energy for the rest of the day.
- Storybooks: Use storybooks to teach children why sleep is essential for their health and growth. The more we help children understand the importance of sleep, the more empowered they will feel to take ownership of their own rest. By making sleep education engaging and developmentally appropriate, children can develop healthy sleep habits and a positive attitude toward rest.
5. Get Fresh Air and Sunshine When Possible
Although the winter season brings cold weather, don't underestimate the benefits of fresh air and sunlight. Outdoor play activities, even for short periods, can provide children with exposure to vitamin D, which is crucial for bone health and immunity. Ensure children are appropriately dressed for the weather to keep them comfortable and safe.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Sunlight Breaks: Schedule outdoor play during sunny times of the day when possible, even if it's chilly, to let children soak up some vitamin D.
Layer Clothing: Teach children how to layer clothing effectively so they are comfortable and safe outside, and involve them in putting on their mittens, scarves, and jackets.
- Nature Walks: Plan short walks to explore winter nature in your community, observing changes in trees, the snow on the ground, or even making observations about how other people outside are all bundled up to protect their body and stay warm.
6. Prepare for Flu Season
Young children are some of the most susceptible to illness as their immune systems are still developing. Preventing the spread of illness during flu season is a top priority in childcare settings. Consider supporting families in finding information about the flu shot for themselves and their children and understanding its potential benefits. Educators and caregivers can also explore staying up-to-date with their vaccinations to help protect themselves and the children in their care.
Strategies for the Classroom/Center:
- Health Awareness: Display posters and flyers about flu prevention in common areas for families and educators, and where flu shots are accessible for those who want them.
- Role-Playing Games: Create pretend scenarios where children practice pretend sneezing into tissues and demonstrate how they wash their hands immediately after.
Health Monitoring: Implement daily health checks for symptoms and remind families to keep unwell children at home.
7. Prioritize Mental Health and Well-Being
The shorter days and limited sunlight of the winter months can affect both children's and educators' moods. Incorporate activities that promote mental health, such as mindfulness and yoga exercises, storytelling, and art projects.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Mindful Moments: Start the day with deep-breathing exercises or a gratitude circle to create a calm and positive atmosphere. This calming routine helps children center themselves, reduce anxiety, and approach the day with a clear mind, fostering a sense of calm and focus that can last throughout the day.
- Emotion Activities: Use emotion cards, storybooks, or puppets to help children identify and express their feelings. This interactive approach encourages emotional literacy, allowing children to better understand their own emotions and practice expressing them in a healthy, constructive way.
- Creative Expression: Provide art supplies and encourage children to create winter-themed crafts as a fun outlet for emotions. These hands-on activities not only spark creativity but also provide opportunities for children to channel their feelings into a tangible, personal expression, which can be especially helpful for those who may have trouble verbalizing their emotions.
—> Read more about prioritizing mental health for early childhood educators in this blog here: Prioritizing mental health in early childhood education
8. Hydration Is Key
While hydration is often associated with hot weather, it's just as important during the winter. Dehydration can weaken the immune system and affect energy levels. Encourage children to drink water throughout the day, even if they don't feel thirsty.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Water Bottles: Have each child bring a personal water bottle to keep in the classroom and ensure to have them accessible throughout the day and on the table during snack time. You can even try setting regular hydration breaks to normalize drinking water.
- Hydration Tracking: When tracking children's food intake throughout the day, also be mindful of monitoring how much water they are consuming and make sure they are drinking enough water to support their developing immune system.
9. Dress for Success in Winter Weather
Help families understand the importance of dressing appropriately for cold weather to keep their children safe and comfortable. Items such as insulated jackets, mittens, hats, and scarves are essential. Educators can also create a checklist for parents to ensure children are prepared for outdoor play.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Winter Gear Station: Have a designated area for storing and organizing children's winter clothing for easy access and to streamline indoor/outdoor transitions throughout the day.
- Dressing Practice: Set up a dramatic play area with winter gear to encourage children to practice getting themselves dressed for cold weather. You can also include children in learning how to dress themselves when getting ready for outdoor play by encouraging them to put on their gear.
- Family Collaboration: Share a winter-weather checklist with families to ensure all children arrive dressed appropriately.
10. Supporting Yourself as an Educator
As an educator or childcare provider, your well-being is essential to the success of your classroom. Prioritize self-care by ensuring you get enough rest, stay hydrated, and take time to recharge. Engaging in professional development opportunities focused on mental health and winter wellness can help you feel prepared and supported, enabling you to care for both yourself and the children and families you work with.
Strategies for the Classroom:
- Wellness Breaks: Make sure you are able to take your scheduled breaks throughout the day to rest and rehydrate, or take a quick mental reset, helping to maintain your energy and focus.
- Winter Wellness Resources: Explore what tools and supports are available near you, like flu shot clinics, mindfulness or yoga classes, or simply taking the time to treat yourself to that coffee and new book to boost your spirits during the winter months.
- Spend time with your team: Though getting out in the winter can feel daunting, taking the time for those casual coffee chats with teammates is a great way to build camaraderie and keep your spirits high during the winter months.
Conclusion
By implementing these strategies, early childhood educators and caregivers can help ensure a healthy and productive winter season for all. A focus on healthy habits, emotional support, and collaboration with families will create an environment where children and educators thrive, no matter how cold it gets outside.