08/01/2026
It’s not bad weather… just bad clothing?
For years (like… 20+ years) I lived by that mantra. And I still love it as a sentiment.
It’s optimistic. It’s outdoorsy. It’s the kind of thing you say when you’ve got a good coat and a strong brew and you’re feeling invincible.
But now I can safely say…
Wrong.
Because the longer I’ve worked with children (and adults), the more I’ve realised something really important: We’re not all built the same.
I can be outside on a cold, wet, windy day (like today, for we’ve hours) and I’m usually fine. Warm hands. Warm feet. Happy enough.
But Bex (the other half of Kids Adventurist)… she’d rather every day was a tropical beach day with the sun on her face and sand between her toes.
And it’s not just preference, the cold hits her differently. Despite every glove combination known to mankind, base layers stacked like a lasagne, hand warmers, heated everything… She still struggles. And when things like Raynaud’s are involved, no amount of “good clothing” fixes it.
So yes… sometimes it really is bad weather. Or at least… weather that some bodies and brains find genuinely harder.
And that’s true for children too.
Some children are outside all the time. They’re used to wet socks and muddy knees and wind that steals your hat. They treat it like normal life.
Others aren’t. A strong gust of wind can be frightening. Mud might be their nemesis. Cold fingers might feel like the end of the world.
And it’s not because they’re “soft”.
It’s because they’re human. And they’re still learning how the outdoors feels.
Some children dive into it head first (literally, that happened today).
Others take a few weeks to even touch the mud, to hold it, to feel it, to realise: “Yes… it’s cold. Yes… it’s slimy. But it’s safe. And I’m okay.”
And that’s the bit I love most.
Not that they all become fearless little adventurers overnight. But that the outdoors gives them the chance to go at their own pace.
To build confidence.
To regulate.
To try.
To retreat.
To return.
That is a path forest school helps guide them on.
So if your child struggles in the cold, or hates the rain, or refuses to touch mud… they’re not “doing it wrong”.
They’re just doing it their way.
And our job isn’t to toughen them up. It’s to support them, equip them, and help them find their own version of comfort outdoors.
Because the goal isn’t to love every type of weather… It’s to feel safe enough to explore in it.
