We just bought some of the new Oaki rain pants during their seasonal sale, so I thought I'd review them a bit here so others can see what they look like in action! ​

In this video you'll see some of the following outdoor gear items (that we use daily). A few of these links are affiliate links, which means you're paying the same for the item, but Kinder.Earth might receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Important to note: Kinder.Earth did NOT receive any compensation or free gear from Oaki for filming this video or recommending these pants. 

• New Oaki Rain Pants
• ​Bogs Boots (insulated)
• Oaki Boots (rain)
• Wool Socks (or the SmartWool version)
• Hat (with ear flaps)
• Long Rain Jacket
• Water-Resistant Mittens
• Neoprene Gloves
• Fleece-Lined Neck Warmer
• Merino Wool Base Layer

I'm already starting to hoard clothes for the upcoming winter. You too? I came across this article with a great explanation of the layers kids need to be outdoors for an extended period of time. Take a look! 

If you're an outdoor school teacher or administrator interested in how to help parents understand outdoor schooling, this video will be well worth your time. The audio & slides are from a presentation I gave in August 2017 at the Nature-based Preschool National Conference in Seattle. 

If you hear your voice in this video and would prefer to opt-out or want your name included in the credits, please contact me! I wasn't able to give everyone credit for their comments as I didn't have video of the event. 

- Dr. Kendall Becherer

I have pale, sensitive skin and so does my 3-year-old, so we definitely need good sun protection for our faces and necks. Since applying sunscreen every time we go outside isn't an option, I was very excited to find this Sunday Afternoons Play Hat last summer!

It's ADJUSTABLE so we should be able to get use out of it for 3 or 4 summers (we're already on year 2 and it's holding up nicely), and the chin strap works well to keep it from blowing off in the wind (especially while on the beach). It dries quickly and squishes down to a small size for portability. We highly recommend it!

Click here for more info.

This giveaway is over. Congratulations to Candace who won a set of thermals for her grandchildren! 

Enter your email to win a FREE thermal shirt & leggings from NUI's merino wool collection. If you win, you'll get to choose the best size (0-10 years old) and color for your child. I'll also email everyone who enters a 10% off coupon for NUI merchandise on their website.

Watch the video below for more information about NUI thermals and Kinder.Earth.

I tried everything, but my 2-year-old’s feet were STILL COLD after 3 hours of outdoor school. I tried thick wool socks with loose boots. I tried 2 thick pairs of socks with an even bigger size of boots, but the bend of the Bogs wouldn’t let his thick foot inside. I tried thin, polyester liner socks under thick wool socks. The boots we have are supposed to be “comfort rated to 5 degrees fahrenheit,” but my son’s feet were cold at only 30 degrees fahrenheit and I was getting FRUSTRATED! 

Here are a few tips about how to prepare for outdoor preschool the Night Before School:

1. Use your child’s base layer shirt for pajamas (unless you plan to eat a messy breakfast before school in the morning). Pants are pretty easy to change in the morning while diapering or going to the bathroom. 
2. Pack snacks. Try to include foods that help regulate internal body temperature (whole grains, lean meats, bananas, nuts, chocolate, and foods with coconut oil). Also, avoid foods that will make kids’ hands cold (they usually remove a mitten to eat the snack, so if the food is wet or cold they will quickly start to feel cold). 
3. Prepare backpack with snack, water bottle, and back-up gear. If their mittens or hat get wet, they’ll need an extra pair available in the middle of the school day to avoid getting too cold.

Lately I've noticed kids coming to nature school with backpacks stuffed with additional insulating layers. The fact is, during the school day teachers don't have time to take kids' outer layers, mittens, and boots off to put another insulating layer on (especially not pants). Occasionally, if a kid is really cold, we'll take their rain jacket off and put another fleece or puffy jacket underneath, but usually we only add outer layers like neck warmers, hats, and mittens. And believe me, mittens going on and off (and on and off) already take up half of our time on cold days.

Teachers need to be able to assume that students have the appropriate amount of base and insulating layers on when they arrive at school. This needs to be done at home, where it's warm.

I love teaching with other preschool teachers because I always learn (and am reminded of) so many tools and tricks for working with young children. Early in the day, I watched while Teacher M redirected a child from throwing a hard object to throwing a soft one. It seemed like such a natural and effortless approach, but I realized in that moment that the easiest thing to do would have been to tell the child “NO” (“don’t throw that hard rock”). In fact, I’ve been telling my almost-3-year-old “no” a lot lately—that’s probably why her (more gracious) choice to redirect stood out to me!

Later that morning, my son started pushing another boy. Even though the boy was clearly saying “no” and crying, my son just kept right on pushing (sound familiar?). My first strategy was to appeal to my son’s empathy and point out the other boy’s suffering.