It is winter time and you look outside and although you know the outside space is so much fun the colours sometimes suit your mood about going out there. So how can you brighten that outside space of yours and turn that frown upside down? Outdoor learning has never been so much with The Muddy Puddle Teachers blog tips and ideas!
8 Ways to make your outside spaces more colourful this winter
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- Make some colourful bunting or buy some
You can get it very cheaply from sites like amazon and get lots of it so you can drape it all around your outdoor space. If you’re lazy (like me) and hang it up and leave it all year long it will last you around two years. But if you bring it out of the sun in the summer it will keep its colour for you, trust me.
- Use your parachutes
It may be at the back of your cupboard waiting for a sunny day but it is also useful for making colorful dens in your outside space. Hang it up to form a den like shelter and let the children explore the sounds and colour that are created through it. Bring it in each day to give it a rest.
- Buy some colourful acrylic paints.
Paint rocks and have these all around your space. They will sparkle at you in the rain and cheer you all up. Add a wellbeing slant and call them our ‘Lovely Rocks’ and have names on them, treat them as a special stone close to our hearts. Paint other things too such as old buckets and other utensils you use to brighten them up and reuse. Painting the tops of wooden stumps is a nice alternative too.
- Paint the fencing
It is a bold one but turning your fence from brown to a pastel colour makes for a change. We forget so easily about the space on the fences, why not paint bright numbers on there (get permission) and create number focused fencing.
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- Upcycle CDs
Send a letter out asking for any old CDs parents may have you can use and upcycle with (make sure they know they will not be coming back). Then spend an art activity using ear buds and acrylic paint to create a pretty design. Then hang them up like a mobile. They will sparkle and shine at you, all year.
- Upcycle water bottles.
This activity needs to be done by adults. Simply cut the bottle starting from the bottom into a spiral then add some string and hang high up for the children to marvel over as they twist and turn in the wind.
- Cheap windmills
Head out to your local charity shop, try to give the local hardware store a call also and see if they have any tall windmills on a stick you could place in your outside space to gain an interest for wind and to add to your fun environment.
- Research local artists.
If you have a large brick wall could they do some art on it? Again get permission first 🙂
- Music
Adding sound is a really nice way of adding colour through our ears, cheering our spirits up. Try and educate the children with new music and bands, try classical and white music. Ensure it’s covered and enjoy the moments.
- Planting
Sometimes our outdoor areas look a bit dull because we only have deciduous trees out there or plants that bloom in summer. Do your research and look for planting more evergreen trees. Have an outdoor christmas tree this year and look for plants that show colour in winter.
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