Holding the Season: How We Welcome Winter at Mouse’s Garden
At this time of year, life often feels full. Calendars fill quickly, routines shift, and many of us are busy preparing for the holiday season in whatever way feels meaningful to our families. The days grow shorter, the air sharper, and here at Mouse’s Garden the paths grow muddier by the week.
And yet, beneath the bustle, nature is doing something very different.
Winter invites us to slow down.
In the natural world around us, things are drawing inward. Birds migrate, animals prepare for rest, and the land itself seems to exhale. It’s a quieter season; not empty, but full in a different way. At Mouse’s Garden, we take our cues from this rhythm, allowing the changing seasons to gently shape the pace and feel of our days.
“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.”
– Anamika Mishra
Learning from the Land
Our nursery sits within a working organic farm, and the seasons are not something we talk about in theory – they are lived, daily experiences. Children feel winter in the cold air on their cheeks, in the soft squelch of mud beneath their boots, and in the way the garden looks and sounds. Freed from its leafy covering, the divide between land and sky seems to dissipate in the expansive winter blue.
As the landscape quietens, our days naturally soften too. We notice more. We linger longer. Walks become slower, more observational. Time is spent watching breath turn to mist, listening for birds, gathering sticks, and noticing the subtle changes that mark the turning of the year.
This seasonal awareness helps children understand that slowing down is not something to resist, but something to trust.
A Different Kind of Richness
In a world that often encourages us to focus on the accumulation of “more”, winter gently offers an alternative. It reminds us that richness can be found in simplicity, in warmth, and in togetherness.
At Mouse’s Garden, this might look like:
Gathering close in the yurts after time outdoors
Sharing warm food made from seasonal produce
Sitting together with stories, songs, and quiet conversation
Allowing space for rest, reflection, and calm play
These moments matter. They help children feel secure, connected, and grounded – not just to the people around them, but to the wider rhythms of the world.
Community at the Heart
Winter has a way of drawing us closer. Historically, it has always been a time for community – for sharing food, stories, and warmth. We hold this deeply in our practice.
Our nursery is not just a place children attend; it is a small community of families, educators, and land, all moving through the seasons together. In winter especially, we are reminded that what sustains us most is connection; being known, being supported, and being part of something shared.
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents and the community.”
– Jane D. Hull
Gratitude, Not Rush
It can be easy at this time of year to feel pulled towards consumerism; towards lists, expectations, and the pressure to do more. But nature quietly tells a different story.
The real gift of this season is not something to buy. It’s found in muddy walks, warm hands held tight, shared meals, and moments of stillness. It’s found in taking stock – of the lives we are building for our children, and the values we hope they will carry with them.
At Mouse’s Garden, we aim to give children the space to experience winter not as something to endure, but as something to honour.
Moving Gently Forward
As the year draws towards its close, we hold winter as a teacher in its own right, one that shows us the importance of rest, reflection, and gratitude. By allowing children to move with the seasons, rather than against them, we help nurture a deep sense of belonging in the world.
Muddy boots, cold noses, warm hearts – winter at Mouse’s Garden is not about slowing life down, but about making space for what truly matters. And that, perhaps, is the greatest lesson the season has to offer.