We all love those dreamy warm spring or fall days where the weather is perfect, everyone is well-rested, healthy, and ready for adventure. However, those days in Ohio are fleeting, just as they are in life. Going outside to play or work, no matter the weather may sometimes seem challenging, but with the proper gear in stock becomes just another day.

Enjoying some winter weather at the farm.

Learning Tree’s devoted community embraces this and meets us outside for programming every month, no matter the weather. These values are what keep farms running, what keep our animals and facilities going, and what outdoor educators know build the characteristics of resiliency- sometimes referred to as grit. On January 29th, the Little Red Hen program met as the polar vortex approached to look for animal tracks in the mud and snow. We worked together,  using our fine motor skills, to make some binoculars to look for those animals. These observations made together over and over again cement our children’s love of their natural world.

Many lament youth’s inability to cope and thrive amid adversity. Research tells us, however,  that by participating in these types of experiences regardless of weather, we are laying the foundation for the inner strength to participate no matter the condition. We lead our children and families in seeking new and varied experiences and challenges. To learn, play, and grow even when life isn’t ideal.  

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