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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2016)
,MKMUJMZ-);<-:67:-/768):-6< What to do with active children in winter weather Ac ve children present interest- ing challenges year-round, but es- pecially so when the weather gets bad and they must stay indoors. This me of year, parents need to get crea ve to provide enough ac- ve play for young bodies that have a great need to move. Parent educators Helen Neville and Diane Clark Johnson, authors of “Temperament Tools: Working with Your Child’s Inborn Traits (Rev. Ed.),” say that ac ve children are always on the go and in a hurry to get somewhere. This child goes places and does things — his energy pushes him up and out and some- mes into trouble. As one of our readers describes her son’s early childhood, “He just never stopped moving. I didn’t have to worry about providing ac ve op ons for him because he never slowed down. He did everything fast.” Simi- larly, Adelaide, age 3, can disappear from her cul de sac and run into the wooded area across from her house in seconds while her mother turns her back to take grocery bags out of the car. The young, highly ac ve child has more energy than skill or judgment, so safety is a signifi cant concern. Since children don’t stop need- ing exercise during winter, we all need to think ahead about how they will stay occupied and get enough ac ve play me. Here are a few sugges ons. • Indoor play areas are ideal for younger children. One mom we know le her formal dining room empty of furniture so her two young children, ages 2 and 4, Full Service Event Facility 12000 Sq’ Great Room 3 Meeting Rooms Executive Board Room Commercial Kitchen Integrated Audio Visual Equipment Boo k Your Holiday Party Today 541.289.9800 eotechermiston.com C olu m bia R iver C om m u nity H ealth Services 541-481-7 212 • 450 Tatone St., B oardm an, O R 97 818 M on. 7 :30 am - 7 :00 pm ; Tu e. - Fri. 7 :30 am - 5:00 pm See u s for all you r m edical needs. M ost m ajor insu rances, M edicare and O regon M edicaid accepted. W e are an insu rance exchange and M edicaid A ssistor Site. Please give u s a call for m ore inform ation. H ablam os E spañ ol could use it as a play room. They have some large plas c toys there, a slide and a play car. • Something to bounce on is help- ful. You can buy an indoor mini-trampo- line or just set out an old crib ma ress for jumping. Rocking horses are also an op on for bouncing. Parenting Tip • So mats can be used for somersaults or a li le friendly wrestling. • Let your child build an indoor fort. Let her drag out all the pillows, bedding, and couch cushions she likes. Be glad the kids are construc- vely engaged and tolerate the mess. Another op on are the nylon, collaps- ible play huts. Make it special by only allowing them to use it when the weather is bad. • Get kids outside even when the weather is bad. A few sugges ons for playing outside in rain or snow: -Provide your child with rain gear and snow gear. If he is comfortable, he will play. -Watch for sun breaks. If it’s been raining off and on, watch for a clear period and send the kids out — even if it’s only for 15 minutes. -If you live near a school or park, take advantage of its covered play space. Children can play wall ball by themselves or four square if there are enough players. -If nothing else, a child can al- ways run laps around your house. -Outside play is always more fun with a friend. Arrange for a play- date and send them outside to play soccer in the rain, have a snowball fi ght, or just build a fort together. ________ Story reprinted with permission from ParenƟ ng Press, © 2016.
