Do you remember snow days? It was like waking up to find a gift from nature: a free day without school.
Now that you’re an adult, snowstorms are more of a headache.
Am I going to be able to get to work?
Ugh, I have to shovel the sidewalk.
If the kids are staying home, I guess I’ll have to stay home.
We understand the stress of a snowy commute, and the aggravation that comes with clearing your sidewalk. But if you do have to stay home with your kids when it snows, make the most of it.
Here are some fun winter activities for kids that might help you reconnect with your inner child.
The Classics
Let’s start with some classic winter outdoor activities for kids, the type of things children have been doing for generations:
- Sledding or snow tubing. This can be especially fun if you live near a golf course that allows you to use its hills.
- Build a snowman/snowwoman/snow family.
- Dig out the toys your kids bring to the beach to build a snow fort, or dig a snow tunnel. (Make sure kids are supervised here.)
- Have a snowball fight
- Make snow angels
Branching out
Let’s say we have a long, snowy winter, and your kids are looking for more outdoor activities to try. Parents magazine has a few suggestions:
- Hula hooping – Have a contest to see who can keep going the longest. It becomes much more of a challenge when you’re wearing winter clothes.
- Snow creatures – If your kids are tired of snowmen, try building snow animals. Start simple by building a caterpillar: just link together 10-12 snowballs, and use some stones and small twigs for eyes and antennae.
- Scavenger hunts – Hide an apple in a mound of snow, with just a little bit poking out. Give the kids directions to find it.
- Build a maze – When the snow gets deep enough, shovel out a path for your kids to follow.
Complicated, but fun
These next two winter outdoor activities for kids are a little more complex, but fun just the same:
Frozen bubbles
Put a twist on the classic warm weather tradition of blowing soap bubbles. Here’s what you’ll need:
- ½ cup of soap powder
- ½ cup of sugar
- 3 cups of hot water
- A measuring cup, bowl and spoon/whisk
- A bubble wand
Make the bubble solution by mixing the soap, water and sugar in the bowl. You’ll need a below-freezing day with no wind.
Blow a bubble, catch it on the wand, and watch it freeze into a solid, glassy ball.
Snow ice cream
Close out the day with a winter time snack: snow ice cream. Get eight cups of fresh snow, and put them a big bowl. Add a can of sweet condensed milk, a teaspoon of vanilla, stir and serve with any of the toppings you’d add to a traditional bowl of ice cream.
You might want to pair it with some hot chocolate to help your kids stay warm. Or, let them take refuge in one of our swing set forts or swing set playhouses until they’re ready to re-emerge and make the most of their snow day.