The calendar tells us summer is on the way but the weather seems to be making up its mind. The winter has been long and the kids are desperately waiting to enjoy the outdoors. It’s time to embrace the inconsistency, grab your wellies, raincoats and umbrellas and get ready for play.
Irish sustainable footwear company Polly & Andy have added family-friendly Rainbow Stripe Rainboots, made from FSC-certified natural rubber to their collection. These boots are ideal for playgrounds, parks and forest walks. Don’t allow rain to hamper your adventures, and keep puddle-jumping feet cozy and dry. Oversized handles make them easy for kids to put on and take off.
There are many benefits to allowing children to play outdoors even if it begins to rain. As long as children are wearing appropriate clothing that keeps them warm and dry, they can fully reap the benefits of playing and exploring outdoors in the rain.
1. Enhance Physical Skills
Children can develop physical skills faster in the rain. Due to slippier conditions, children need to work harder to maintain good balance, improving their coordination and gross motor skills. They will also harness their critical thinking skills while they manage risks associated with slippery surfaces. Moving about on wet surfaces improves balance, strength and agility.
2. Promotes A Healthy Lifestyle
Allowing children to play outside in the rain promotes the understanding that participating in daily exercise shouldn’t be prevented by the weather. It has been proven that children who learn to lead a active lifestyle at a young age, will carry this habit on throughout adulthood.
3. Investigating Scientific Concepts
While exploring the outdoors during rainfall, children can learn about nature in a more in-depth way as they question and explore scientific concepts, such as the seasons, weather clouds and where water comes from! All sorts of animals only make an appearance during spells of wet weather, providing many new lines of questioning.
4. Provide A Sensory Experience
Playing in the rain provides new and different sounds, sights, smells and textures excite the senses.
The pitter patter of rain on the ground, roads and footpaths darkening in colour, feel the damp, slippery surfaces caused by rainfall and smell the earthy scent. Each of the senses can be stimulated when outdoors. Mud kitchens are fantastic for use in the rain, and for getting children interacting with new materials and textures.
5. Increase Independency
Learning that rainy days require different clothing a fantastic way to teach children to be a little more independent and take some responsibility for keeping themselves dry and warm outdoors. Once children return from playing in wet weather, they can learn they need to hang their coats up and put their rainboots away so that they’re dry and ready for next time!
6. Enhance Creativity
Children’s creativity and imaginations can be inspired as they jump in muddy puddles and allow their minds to run wild. Encourage interaction with water loving animals, pretend worlds or acting stories from their favourite books.
Rainbow Stripe Sustainable Rainboots from Polly & Andy are manufactured from FSC-certified natural rubber (latex extracted from trees) with a supersoft bamboo lining, these boots are comfortable from the first wear. Created for mud, rain, seawater, sand and anything else a day on the move can throw at you. When you remove them, the mud stays on the boot and not on your clothing and socks.
Extensive size range for children and adults. Priced from €38.00.
Available to purchase from www.pollyandandy.com and stockists nationwide.
