Winter is characterized by the onset of snow and cold temperatures. However, does this mean that you and your kids should just stay at home by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate each? As much as that is enjoyable in its own right, there’s nothing like having fun in the snow.
Moreover, your children should stay physically active even during this cold season. So, what are some outdoor activities for kids and families in winter? There are quite a lot of them – and we’ve got some simple yet fun suggestions.
1). Building a Snowman and Snow Angels
A kid’s winter won’t be complete without having his own snowman and snow angel. Not only is this a creative activity but it will also make your children exercise. After all, they will be moving a lot of snow to assemble their snowy masterpieces. Let them design the snowman with whatever they want: carrots, buttons, branches, hats.
If there is enough snowfall, you should also encourage your kids to make snow angels. They just have to lie down and keep waving to create the desired shapes. Of course, remember to take photos of their own unique snowman and snow angels so they have something to look back to.
2) Shoveling the Snow
This might seem like a lot of work, but this can be a fun activity for your kids. Simply give them a compact or small folding shovel that’s specifically designed for kids. Next, explain the activity of shoveling snow as if it were a game. Give them levels and steps to shoveling it. Tell them that the first level involves clearing a straight path. Then, the more difficult level will be to create patterns as they dig out the snow.
Just like with making a snowman, they can use their creative juices to think of fun patterns to make. Once they are done, they can go to the upper floor of the house and see the shapes they’ve created. This is a win-win condition as they will help you out while getting enough exercise for the day.
3) Treasure Hunting
You don’t have to spend any money here. Your children will appreciate the prize and the adventure itself. You can get a pack of sweets or a sealed toy and hide it in a snow bank. Prepare several clues that will help them think of the treasure’s location.
This treasure hunting activity will exercise their minds as they try to uncover the mystery. Moreover, even icicles can be treasures. Tell them to go bring the longest and biggest icicles they can find. They will serve as the treasures, and the kid who brings the largest icicles wins.
4) Identifying Conifers
This is an activity similar to finding icicles. Here, your kids will roam around the backyard and in nearby areas and look for different conifer trees. They can look for the trees themselves, but they can also look at the ground in search of fallen branches and needles. Once they go back home, you can help them sort the needles by length, thickness, and texture. This will help them be fascinated by nature at an early age.
5) Snowball Throwing
Finally, why not just have a good old snowball-throwing contest? You don’t have to make your kids hit each other with cold clumps of snow. You can set a target for them to hit. This can be a tree or even a set of plastic bottles that they should hit to score points. Your children can also compete as to who will throw the farthest snowball.
In conclusion, there are many outdoor activities you can have with your children. You don’t have to spend anything, and your kids will have a lot of fun and exercise at the same time. We hope this inspired you to go out and have fun in the winter sun.
