The Wrong Clothing!

Amongst Forest School Leaders and Outdoor Practitioners, there is always a conversation going on somewhere regarding clothing.

What is the most durable? 

The most value for money? 

The warmest? 

The most waterproof? 

The BEST!?

A lot of this will boil down to preference, and I think we all muddle through with a mix of new and old, top-class and trusted items that we know work for us!

But when it comes to children it's a different matter.
If we're supplying overalls we want the most hard-wearing clothing, capable of sliding down muddle banks without ripping and totally waterproof to protect whatever is underneath... and that comes at a price, especially when you need to buy in bulk.

Usually, there is a compromise somewhere, maybe not the most expensive range but a mid-price version we hope will last a few years.

Sometimes the remit to provide suitable attire will fall on parents and carers. This is something many will have considered before signing up to a Forest School, but when it's part of school life it can be a bit more difficult for parents/carers to track down clothing that will keep their child warm and dry.

Considering the range of weather British Seasons throw at us, the cost of puddle suits and overtrousers, kitting out a child to be ready for all weather, all-terrain, all temperature Outdoor Learning has always been a little fraught, and in today's economic climate it is even more difficult for many.

So how do we keep children comfortable outdoors for 2 hours?

Well, first of all, we need to remember what we want the clothing to achieve. We ask for long sleeves and long trousers as it reduces the scratches from brambles, the attack from stinging nettles, and the bites from gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks. These are not just irritants. Scratches from twigs and welts from running through long grass are not just itchy, as we're outside there's a chance that if it breaks the skin it will be infected - these plants may not be clean. Bites can bring on an allergic reaction, and ticks can pass on Lyme disease.

These outcomes may feel rare, but perhaps that is in part because so many of us DO cover-up. We help keep ourselves safe with our choice of clothing.

Even in summer, lightweight but fully covered is the ideal clothing. It also helps to stop sunburn and therefore reduces the chances of skin cancer in later life.

In winter, there's little chance of roasting in the sun! But many bugs are still around looking to bite, and prickles and nettles don't care about the season!

Dressing children correctly for outdoor exploring will make a huge difference to their enjoyment and engagement.

Recently, we've had the wettest spell of weather I can remember in quite some time. It amazes me how many Winter coats, for adults AND children, are not waterproof! Many look nice and cosy but act like a sponge soaking up the rain. 

I think we need to start a campaign to ensure they're fit for purpose! This is Britain - infamous for its 'green and pleasant land' and it's green because of the generous watering the heavens dump on us regularly!
Despite the Summer heatwave, drought, and hosepipe ban (lifted may I say on November 30th!!), Autumn saw normal service resume, and Winter and Spring are just as likely to drop a deluge!

Firstly, there is a huge difference between showerproof and waterproof! If trying to ensure children are prepared for whatever the weather throws at them, a good waterproof coat, even a lightweight one, that can go OVER a warm coat works well. Or an old coat that is for Forest School only can be used, even if it's a bit small. It doesn't have to be washed after every use and has a week to dry out! Hand-me-down coats or a charity shop rummage can throw up some gems!

Overtrousers are a great investment. An old pair of trackie bottoms can hold the warmth in, while the waterproofs get pulled over the top to prevent them from getting too wet. Again, these often turn up in charity shops. 

Wellies! The very best invention. Keeping feet dry in wet grass, puddles, and mud, and always best with either thick socks or two pairs of thin ones. Trainers soak up the water, start to feel stiff, then rub. School shoes will be ruined!

This is still not foolproof - as children frequently manage to fill their wellies with puddle water!

Again, it's an expense, especially on ever-growing feet, but once children grow out of wellies donate them to someone who can use them! A Big Welly Swap at school might work! 

Every bit of advice here does carry a cost.
It could be a fortune if you choose to go for designer brands straight from the retailer, but there are other options.
As a school, we'd love to be able to afford to kit out each child with their own waterproof suit, but we can't, not without passing on the cost to parents. 

A quick Internet search found a few options that are cheap and cheerful! As stated above, the biggest advice I can give is that water resistant and waterproof are NOT the same thing! 
Aldi stock great overclothes, separates, and onesies from time to time.
B&M frequently has puddlesuits in stock, and a quick google or Amazon hunt throws up plenty of options, from a few pounds, to more expensive than those I wear!

Anyone who sees me around the school will know my overtrousers are always muddy. I don't wash them daily or weekly. Mainly because as soon as you wash waterproofs you damage the waterproof coating. There is a 'detergent' that will remove the mud and replace the waterproofing, but that is very expensive.

By having my clothes covered I reduce my laundry pile, and by washing my over-clothes only when I really have to, I keep the cost minimal. Dried mud brushes off much more easily than wet mud, and heading into Forest School I don't feel the need to be pristine on the top layer! 

As long as Forest School clothes dry out, ensuring they're 100% clean between uses is not necessary! They are on for 2 hrs and are not next to the skin.

Hopefully, donations of wellies that pupils have outgrown will kit out other children with waterproof footwear. We are currently aiming to get donations of socks too!

One of the most important things at school, and overlooked in the chaos that is 'getting the kids ready for school', is something dry and warm to put on afterward! At Chartham children often arrive in Forest School clothes because they have a morning session. Staying in these all day is not comfortable or fun if their uniform is at home on the table!

This week it has ranged from some children stuck in a damp tracksuit for the rest of the day, to children in borrowed uniform that isn't a good fit, or even overly warm, to my favourite, those who arrive with clean underwear (socks AND pants) because their parent KNOWS they will get wet to the skin! One of these pupils brings in a wet flannel and a towel too (you know who you are!).

But being outside in all weather is fun!
If covid taught us nothing else it was to avoid germs, not weather!
We've spent two Winters with open windows circulating air. We met friends and family outside, and invented garden visits that didn't include either tea with the Queen or a head gardener guiding you around!
Outside is healthy, good for mind and body, and a brilliant place to learn and develop! 

The World Health Organisation finds that children raised with exposure to green space are as much as 55% less likely to develop mental health problems such as substance abuse, stress-related illnesses, and eating disorders

The Wildlife Trust are great advocates of getting outside, as are the Countryside Charity CPRE, and the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom promotes it throughout schools across the country, while GPs across the World prescribe getting outside as much as possible, sometimes literally!

Its impact is undeniable, but its enjoyment is influenced by clothing, and everyone's budget is influenced by washing powder, electricity, and the ability to dry stuff in the damp weather we've been having.

If you find it difficult to supply suitable clothes speak to your Forest School Leader, they will do all they can to help. 

If you're an FSL and you still don't know what to buy for yourself, there will be as many opinions as there are practitioners! Our personal budgets vary vastly too! Yes, sometimes the more expensive items pay for themselves as you have them for years, but the initial outlay isn't always available! 

Layers are always the very best thing in cold weather. Pile them on so you can strip them off when you get warm. Vests, jumpers, socks! No such thing as too many! Anything fleece lined is a Godsend!

3 Layers are the norm: a BASE LAYER to help regulate core temperature, a MID LAYER to insulate this and hold the heat in, and an OUTER LAYER to protect from rain, snow, ice, and wind.

Ultimately, keep moving. It's what I tell the children. If you get your circulation going you'll warm up, sitting or standing huddled will just make you colder! Star jumps. Running on the spot. A quick game of tag. It works for children and adults alike. 

Right now we're all moaning the days are getting cold. For us here at Chartham it's meant horizontal rain and heavy mist for pretty much all of November - but no frost yet. The real cold is yet to come. 

We never reach the kind of frozen experienced in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, or many other parts of the planet. Places where life continues in minus Celsius, where Forest School continues in minus Celsius...!

Even so, here at Chartham, we're going to feel much, much colder before we start to feel any warmer!

So let's just make sure we are all dressed for it!