{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"With the nights drawing in, lots of sections will be planning more outdoor winter meetings than they\u2019ve ever run before. Here are ten top tips for making the most of the winter outdoors at any age, from Beavers to Network.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt doesn\u2019t need to be night time.\u003C/strong\u003E With groups who are used to being indoors during the winter, think about running events during daylight hours at the weekends. It\u2019s a great way for young people to learn about looking after themselves outdoors in winter, before you add the added challenge of darkness.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWrap up warm. \u003C/strong\u003EProvide clear advice on everything from footwear to headwear. Keeping a necker visible can be useful but otherwise, warmth and waterproofing are what matters.\u00A0\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00223\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeep active.\u003C/strong\u003E Plan a programme that keeps every section member physically active all the time, and make every outdoor meeting an adventure that is accessible for everyone.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00224\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBoost energy and morale.\u003C/strong\u003E Snacks, hot drinks, and warming fires are all great options.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00225\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProvide some shelter\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003Efrom the wind and rain.\u003C/strong\u003E Go under trees or tarpaulins and keep out of wind tunnels. Keep to the edges of large open spaces rather than the centre; you\u2019ll find it warmer and more sheltered in these areas.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00226\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeep it short\u003C/strong\u003E. It\u2019s better to have a short, memorable adventure and send them home warm and happy, than letting them freeze over an epic session.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00227\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESee and be seen\u003C/strong\u003E. Use lights and hi viz to make sure your sections can see what they\u2019re meant to be doing \u2013 and each other \u2013 all of the time. Lighting can also help social distancing by spreading groups out. Modern LED lights can be a great addition to your stores: quick to set up and portable.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00228\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake the winter outdoors an adventure, not a worry.\u003C/strong\u003E Gaze at the stars, listen out for wildlife, look for bats, share a local ghost story. Everyday locations get exciting in the dark.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u00229\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s OK to cancel at short notice if the weather looks too bad.\u003C/strong\u003E Parents are really grateful to us for providing our activities. They\u2019ll completely understand, especially for younger sections, if you occasionally decide that the forecast\u2019s too bad and postpone the session to the following week.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col start=\u002210\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReview and revise.\u003C/strong\u003E At the end of each meeting, have a quick discussion with your leader team to agree what could work even better for future meetings. Don\u2019t forget to ask your sections too.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Take a look","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve got a whole host of new, socially distanced, outdoors activities that you can do with your young people. We\u0027ve also added \u0027socially distanced outdoors\u0027 as a new filter in our activities database so that you can find them easily, whenever suits you.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"","id":null,"url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/?setting=Socially%20distanced%20outdoors","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#23a950","title":"COVID-19 safe outdoors activities","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"20 October 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48588,"nodeName":"How to have fun (and safe) outdoor winter adventures","title":"How to have fun (and safe) outdoor winter adventures","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/4943/sad.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd2ae082b0","caption":"SAD","type":"jpg","size":394569,"width":1200,"height":675,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"How to have fun (and safe) outdoor winter adventures","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODU4OCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/october/how-to-have-fun-and-safe-outdoor-winter-adventures/"}