Whether or not we have dedicated summer and winter wardrobes, most of us adjust our clothing seasonally, and in accordance with the weather (particularly temperature and rainfall) we expect on a daily basis. Our morning decision of what to wear is of course also influenced by our planned activities, whether we’ll be spending the majority of our time outside, or in climate-controlled buildings.

The best parts of this book are the recommendations for further reading at the end of each chapter and the summary at the end, which I basically agreed with completely except for the "we are one with nature" line. (Um...#nope) I always found this saying a bit obnoxious, and couldn’t really believe others were BAD at dressing for the weather (after all, it simply makes sense) – but after not only plenty of visits to European countries in both winter and summer, not to mention living in Dublin for more than 4 months, I realized this saying is not as obnoxious as it seems, because in some countries people DO seem to struggle with dressing. Geographer Russell Hitchings has studied the changing relationship that many people have with the outside world, many office workers now ‘insulated from the experience of seasonal change’ (2010). He has also explored international variation in how people in different places handle outdoor climate (2011). So, this is a shallow book. No interesting line of thought is followed and no truly interesting questions are asked. But I still like its messages. I like getting kids outside and playing in the dirt. I like kids having freedom and being trusted with hammers, nails, and saws. I like getting kids away from the TV and getting to go around their city on their own. I love that when Gothenburg schools noticed parents driving their kids to school they sent notices home telling parents how important it is for kids to walk to school on their own and be free to explore the city on their own (and how safe it is). I love that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing (in Scandinavia).Any Outdoor Learning involves elements of risk. The benefits of appropriate risk are vital to children’s development. Forest School develops learners understanding of risk, involves the learners in the risk management process and supports learners to take acceptable risks. Forest School leaders are trained in relevant Health and Safety issues. Every qualified Forest School level 3 leader will have a handbook containing all the appropriate policies, procedures, risk assessments and other relevant documentations. Every Leader will also be trained in emergency outdoor first aid. Leaders will consider the setting, child, local conditions and any other considerations when deciding what activities to undertake with children. There is an on-going process of observation and instruction gradually leading up to the use of tools or fire over an extended period of time ensuring risks are introduced and managed in a safe and consistent way. Risks are weighed up against benefits in a risk benefit analysis. There are just so many benefits to outdoor play for kids ⏤ physical skills that they build, and social skills, and cognitive skills. And since parents, educators, doctors, and nurses, everybody in Scandinavia is on board and understands that, it’s become this mantra: Hey, we got to go outside even if it’s just for a little bit. It’s refreshing. It’s good for the body and soul. And we’ve adjusted accordingly ⏤ all kids are expected to dress for the weather, with their rain gear when it’s rainy and snowsuits in the winter. British humour, I think I’m right in surmising, comprises of improvised word-play (invention of new but instantly recognisable expressions), brutalist observation and extremist opinion- or scenario-making (however fantastical – pretty much like the German model – which also lends itself to surrealism), and the somewhat fatalistic dry irony (which encompasses a lot but might easily include the blunt German model and the wry Norwegian weather observation)

An unplanned, uncontrolled event which could have led to injury to people, damage to equipment or the environment or some other loss. This is used to inform and alter practice. Apparently, women need to feel loved to have sex, and men need to have sex to feel loved, so the basic act of continuing the species requires a lie from one of you. Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed jointly by the practitioner and learner that is tailored to the developmental stage of the learner.I was clearly not in Sweden anymore. Most of the people I now hung out with put me to shame with their in-depth knowledge of nature and advanced wilderness survival skills. One thing was for sure: If I ever stood face-to-face with the Apocalypse I would grab onto a seasoned Montanan in a heartbeat and not let go. Children need fresh air, ample time to play, and freedom to take risks – something other cultures sometimes seem to understand far better than we do. In THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER, Linda Åkeson McGurk takes us inside the fascinating world of Scandinavian parenting, with its refreshing and essential perspective on childhood. This is a heartfelt manifesto on the importance of the sort of unhurried, nature-rich childhood that every American child deserves.”

Yes, very much so. But parents in Sweden also get more help; they don’t have to do it all by themselves. I like to say that it takes a village to raise an outdoor child and it starts with the preschools where kids will be outside for hours. It partly originates in the concept of Friluftsliv, which I talk about in the book, and has been around for about 150 years or so. It a philosophy that revolves around immersing yourself in nature, and enjoying nature for what it is without competition. It can be simple things like going for a walk around the neighborhood or the woods. Or it could be foraging for berries. Who knows. There are a lot of different aspects of Friluftsliv, and the government encourages it because it’s good for public health. It’s good preventive medicine. Forest School uses tools and fires only where deemed appropriate to the learners, and dependent on completion of a baseline risk assessment. Journal and accounts of the Rev. S. E. Hopkinson of Etton of charitable distributions by Earl Fitzwilliam (Northamptonshire Record Office, F(M) Misc Vols/136) To what extent is the fact that kids don't play with other kids in their neighborhoods anymore related to the fact that ... people have different values/cultures from their neighbors and don't actually want their children at their houses acquiring their values? What if we are giving lip service to multiculturalism but it actually makes us miserable? It's not legal to control who lives in our neighborhoods so ... private schools and private activities were invented. If democracy had anything to do with such matters, quantum mechanics and relativity would have lost their deposits when physicists went to the polls. Eddington's vindication of Einstein's relativity was seen by some as dangerous treachery, given the general unpopularity of Germans in England at the time and the veneration accorded Newton. But the facts had to be faced. And as for quantum mechanics, well, really, it is the stupidest way to understand atoms, except for all those others which have been tried from time to time.After coming out of the water of the See (lake) during this hot weather, this could be fun one to use. Swedes are very connected to nature. It plays a huge part in our lives. A Swedish author once wrote that trying to get a Swede to explain why they love nature so much is like asking them why they want to have children. It’s just so obvious that there’s no explanation for it. So we raise kids to be connected to nature. Playing out has proved itself to be one of the simplest and surest routes to making these kinds of memories for me. And perhaps if we don’t manage to make it out every single week in the cold and the wet, we can invite each other into our homes and remember some of the happy memories we’ve made together so far. I also thought it was so ironic how the US sometimes teaches about the outdoors by going to an indoor museum. I definitely think more unstructured outside play and imaging should done. My son had a teacher who rode her bike to school and did outdoor learning. I really appreciated her willingness to think o My own mother has been up and down in the face of dealing with less time with the family, but herself has noticed how her mood improves with time spent outdoors. Such time observing and being in touch with nature, sometimes without realising it, lightens our mood and reduces anxiety.