I am not entirely sure who gets credit for the phrase, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad (or inappropriate) clothing.” My Danish friend is confident it originated in Scandinavia, where children have played outside in all kinds of wintery weather for… well, forever. In this issue of Exchange, author Huajun Li (Winter Play in China) applies the sentiment to children’s outdoor play in China. No doubt some clothing companies have also co-opted the mantra for their marketing taglines.

Wherever the line originated, we are going to celebrate it during these winter months and invite you to do the same. Our cover story on Kinderberry Hill (“Joys of a Winter Wonderland,” page 32) in Minnesota’s twin cities highlights the magic that can happen when children bundle up and head outside in winter, and is full of ideas to spark imagination and joy. Ever since I heard about Kinderberry Hill several years ago, I have wanted to feature their programming on an Exchange magazine cover.

I am also excited to share in this issue a special Focus On section on Making Learning Visible. When a colleague suggested this as a topic, it felt both broad and esoteric—but I loved it! Thanks to suggestions from that same colleague, we were able to gather a phenomenal collection of articles by educators who understand the importance of documentation for children, teachers and families. These articles were instructive to me as someone who is not actively working in a classroom, and I believe they will yield endless ideas for our readers. As a special joy, I was able to include an article by my son’s kindergarten teacher, who uses Instagram to connect with parents and to gently—but powerfully—show how play is learning. She is pretty incredible and if you are not already using Insta with your students, I suspect you might start soon.

As I write this column, freezing rain is cascading down my window, covering everything in sight with a thick layer of ice. I have not seen the sun for several days and, I will admit, I am feeling owly. Winter can be rough. Many of us in the north wake in the dark and sit down to dinner, again, in the dark. Moods become gloomy and spring feels far, far away.
This month—and all winter—I am going to challenge myself to shake off my couch potato inclinations and get outside with my dog, my children, and even solo for contemplative walks in the forest. Sledding, snowball fights and winter hikes generate endorphins. They remind us that joy can alight in subzero temperatures and time in nature is not just for summer afternoons. Then, once I am back inside I will embrace the concept of hygge (the Danes do get credit for this one,) and nest with my family, enjoying snuggles under piles of blankets, comfort food and board games. Winter, we have got your number.