The magic of December!

Dear families,

In December, the days grow shorter, but our streets, homes, and community centres gradually light up. Decorations and garlands brighten our daily commute, bringing a touch of warmth as the cold sets in for the long haul. Snow is now a constant presence, transforming the landscape and changing the way we get around, play, and enjoy the outdoors.

The holiday season is approaching, bringing with it excitement, traditions, and sometimes a different pace of life for children and adults alike. In this context, nature becomes a precious reference point: calmer, whiter, but still rich in discoveries.

I have decided to divide this December newsletter into three parts. First, we will revisit the questions for reflection proposed in the previous newsletter concerning the arrival of cold weather, in order to offer you concrete answers based on observations of children.

Next, I will share with you what children are currently experiencing in our early childhood centres, and we will conclude with a fun suggestion, a winter game to play in nature, so that we can continue to celebrate this season outdoors, even when it’s cold.

Happy reading,

Mathieu Lambert
CPE Forest Project Coordinator and Outdoor Education Advisor, Carrefour francophone.

In the previous newsletter, we offered several questions of reflection to encourage you to take a different look at the arrival of cold weather and its effects on children. These questions were intended to open up a space for discussion, observation, and perspective, both at home and in early childhood centres.

Now that winter is approaching and fall seems to be behind us, I would like to take the time to revisit these questions and offer some possible answers. These answers are based on our experience in the field, discussions with educational teams, and regular observation of children in outdoor settings.

These answers are guidelines that can help you support children with confidence and kindness throughout the winter season.

How do children react to the arrival of cold weather?

The arrival of cold weather brings changes for children, but their reactions can vary depending on their age, their outdoor experience, and how adults accompany these changes.

Generally, children adapt to the cold more quickly than adults. When they are well dressed, moving around, and engaged in an activity that motivates them, they remain comfortable for a long time. Their curiosity then takes over: ice, frost, visible breath in the air, animal tracks, slides… these are all elements that make the cold stimulating rather than unpleasant.

Every fall, there is a short period during which:

  • Children move around a little less;
  • They ask for more help getting dressed;
  • Some say they are cold more often;
  • Their tolerance is lower at the beginning of an outing.

This usually lasts one to two weeks, giving them time to find their bearings and relearn how to manage their comfort.

What skills do children develop thanks to the cold?

The cold is a great opportunity to develop independence in children: zipping up a coat, putting on mittens, adjusting a hat, recognizing when they are too hot or too cold, etc. All these everyday actions help them learn new skills.

Thanks to outdoor activities in winter, children learn to:

  • listen to their bodies and identify their feelings,
  • stay active to keep warm,
  • ask for help at the right time.

These skills help build their self-confidence, independence, and adaptability, which are important qualities in a child’s overall development!

How can you strike a balance between safety and freedom of movement?

Going outside in winter requires special attention, particularly with regard to the risks associated with the cold, such as frostbite and slippery surfaces. But ensuring safety does not mean restricting movement.

The key is to set clear and reassuring limits, while giving children the freedom to explore:

  • check the condition of their hands, face, and feet regularly,
  • adjust the length of time spent outside to the weather conditions,
  • plan active moments to keep them warm.

In a safe environment, children can run, slide, walk on the snow, or even test their balance on the ice, when conditions allow. This teaches them to assess risks, support their peers, and develop their sense of empathy.

Can cold weather become an ally for learning?

Winter offers an exceptional opportunity for discovery. Snow, ice, frost, and condensation provide concrete examples for teaching many concepts:

  • the different states of water (liquid, solid, and gas);
  • temperature and freezing;
  • balance and coordination on different surfaces, etc.

These experiences nurture children’s motor, sensory, and cognitive development. And best of all, you don’t need any special equipment to experiment with all this!

What role do we play in helping children enjoy winter?

The attitude of adults is a determining factor. Children observe our attitudes, words, and reactions; they take us as their role models. An adult who is prepared, calm, and confident will convey a reassuring view of winter.

Here are a few simple tips to help create a positive experience:

  • Prepare well for outings (appropriate clothing, clear objectives).
  • Use positive language to describe the season.
  • Focus on effort rather than performance.
  • Accept that the experience may not always be what you imagined.

Loving winter is something that can be learned. And often, it is children who show us how to embrace it with pleasure and curiosity!

What's happening in our Centres

Speaking of embracing winter with joy and curiosity…
How about I show you how this translates into our early childhood centres?

Scène des tout-petits

At Scène des tout-petits, you might think that the children are trying to imitate sea lions. But think again! A few sheets of Plexiglas were placed on the ground. By covering them with snow, the children created an improvised ice rink, where they had fun sliding and testing their balance.

This simple activity allowed the children to develop their coordination and confidence, and above all, to experience the joy of being active in winter!

Découverte des tout-petits

At Découverte des tout-petits, the children discovered a new game: shaking snow off trees. They looked for branches at their height, shook them, covered themselves in snow… and sometimes splashed snow on their friends, laughing loudly.

While having fun, they had the chance to observe a curious squirrel, which tried to approach them several times to see what they were doing. It was a wonderful encounter.

Boussole des tout-petits

This photo was taken at Boussole des tout-petits, after our walk in the woods and discovering beaver tracks. The children took the risk of walking on a sheet of ice formed by water accumulating in a hole. Everyone had a great time, and it was an opportunity for many of them to develop empathy by supporting friends who were afraid of slipping.

As you can see, the arrival of snow and cold weather offers many opportunities for play and learning! Let me suggest one, related to the wonderful discoveries you can make during outdoor excursions.

Whose tracks are these? The game of winter footprints

Winter is the perfect season for observing animal tracks. Snow-covered ground is like a giant sketchbook, preserving traces of those who came before us.

When you go out into nature, you can encourage children to observe the traces on the ground: animal tracks, human footprints, slides, marks left by branches or the wind.

Here are some examples of questions that can guide their observations:

  • Who passed by here?
  • Was it a large or small animal?
  • Did it have two legs or four?
  • Did it walk fast or slow?
  • Was it alone or with others?

The goal is not necessarily to find “the right answer,” but rather to formulate hypotheses, compare, and develop attention to detail.

Below, you will find a small set of printable cards that we have designed especially for you. You can cut them out, laminate them for durability, and bind them with a ring. This way, you can take these cards with you on outdoor outings and have fun recognizing who the tracks you come across belong to with your children in nature.

These cards can accompany you all winter long, on outings to the park, the forest, or near your home.

My suggestions:

Before heading out, look at the cards together.
During your outing, compare the tracks you find in the snow with those on the cards:

  • Which track is most similar?
  • What is the same?
  • What is different? (number of toes, spacing between tracks, etc.)

You can ask children lots of questions to help them develop their observations:

  • Number of legs
  • Size of the footprint (small/medium/large)
  • How does it move? (jumps, walks, trots)
  • Where can it be found? (forest, near water, trees, etc.)

Here are some possible variations to extend the activity:

With hands or feet: reproduce an imaginary or real footprint in the snow.
With feet: walk like the animal (small quick steps, big jumps, heavy steps, etc.).
With a stick: trace a footprint or a path in the snow.
Group game: one child creates a trail, and the others have to guess who passed by.

These game ideas promote the development of knowledge, imagination, and language skills. They help children feel connected to nature, and I’m sure they’ll enjoy playing them all winter long!

I want to print the footprint game!

To conclude

December is often a busy month, when everything seems to move a little faster. Yet outside, nature invites us to slow down. To observe the tracks in the snow. To listen to the silence. To savor the simple moments, even in cold weather.

Through the experiences offered at our centres and the games we suggest, we want to remind you that winter is not a season to endure, but a season to embrace. With the right guidance, children can find pleasure in winter, developing their independence, confidence, and capacity for wonder.

Thank you to the educational teams for their daily commitment, creativity, and attention to the children, whatever the conditions.

Thank you also to you, families, for making room for the outdoors in your children’s daily lives, even when the cold sets in.

We wish you a December filled with sweet moments, discoveries, and winter joys, as well as a wonderful holiday season!

We look forward to seeing you again in the next newsletter next year.

Mathieu Lambert
CPE Forest Project Coordinator and Outdoor Education Advisor, Carrefour francophone.

Discover a FrancoFact every month

FrancoFacts : facts from research on vocabulary and language in minority contexts, presented by Chantal Mayer-Crittenden, speech-language pathologist and professor at Laurentian University

Le Carrefour francophone souhaite offrir ses remerciements

Nos partenaires de projet : PLAYLearnThink, Collège Boréal, Centre éducatif des Premières Nations, Métis et Inuit et la Pavillon Shkode (Cœur du feu); Nos partenaires de recherche : Centre d’innovation sociale pour l’enfant et la famille et Notre bailleur de fonds : Emploi et Développement social Canada.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Nom