Winter Activities

While you might not have enough snow at your house for an igloo, you can certainly find enough snow for a snow castle. There’s no wrong way to do it. You can team up as a family to make a big castle or everyone can make their own small ones.  Spend as much time as you want on it. Use the same equipment that you would use to make a sand castle and add some pizzazz with food coloring. Decorate with sticks, pine cones, rocks and even bird seed.

Instructions on how to build a great snow castle

   Take a walk and bring a camera or phone with you to capture as many photos of animal tracks as you can find. You can also look for other signs of wildlife, such as scratching or broken twigs and even scat or waste. See who can find the coolest tracks, and as always, send us your best pictures!

https://www.personalcreations.com/blog/animal-tracks

http://www.naturetracking.com/the-5-most-common-animal-tracks-in-snow/

You can do this in your own yard or you can go to one of our local parks to make your snow mazes. The fun thing about snow mazes is that you can always add on to them if the snow doesn’t melt off completely. To get your little ones started, you might have to make the maze, but if your child is old enough, let them make the maze for you. 

All mazes have an entrance and an exit. Leave it up to the kids to come up with the parameters and obstacles and let them challenge each other to see who can make the hardest maze. They can even time each other to see who can make it through the fastest.

Don’t forget to send us a photo!

And here’s a video about the biggest snow maze ever, which broke a Guiness Record in 2019. https://youtu.be/eosHKfPAljk 

Winter offers unique opportunities for a photographer and anyone with an eye for beauty. There are new shadows and the light hits different. This activity could definitely inspire some creativity in your children.

To get some really great photos, take the kids out for a hike, visit the Wildlife Refuge, take photos of Christmas lights or plan a family photo shoot…the possibilities are endless. Here’s some ideas for some winter photos, but don’t let these ideas limit you.

https://thrivingonordinary.com/2019/12/18/winter-photo-challenge/

Send us your favorite photos! We can’t wait to see them.

  Mandala art introduces your child to the concept of radial symmetry. It all starts at the center and then radiates out from the center with different symbols, lines and colors in repeating patterns. You can do this activity on the snow as temporary art or glue it to a piece of paper or board so that you can keep it.  And, as it starts from the center and goes out, you can really stop anytime you want and make it as big or as small as you want.

First, go on a bit of a scavenger hunt to find some leaves, pine cones, rocks, seeds… let your imaginations run wild. If you are making and leaving your mandalas outdoors, stay with natural objects that won’t harm wildlife. But if you are making it inside on a piece of paper, you can use buttons, scraps of colored paper or material or yarn. You could even make a Christmas mandala using your wrapping paper and ribbon. 

This video perfectly explains symmetry and radial symmetry to children for this activity and helps you tailor this activity to children of all ages. https://youtu.be/cE42ErplQCk

Everyone loves to make snow angels. This time, we are asking for everyone to get extra creative. After you make the perfect snow angel, you can leave it as it is or you decorate it with pine boughs, pine cones, rocks, bird seed and even carrots. 

Remember to send us a picture of your angel’s angel.

Here’s a set of instructions on how to make the perfect snow angel. 

https://www.thewonderofchristmas.com/games/snow-angels/

We adore the thought of an outdoor winter party for your family, put together by your children. Let them decorate your outdoor furniture with tablecloths and snuggly blankets. Decorate the table with pine boughs and cones. Make a fire and toast marshmallows or just sit outside for a bit to sip some hot cocoa (and mulled wine for the adults). Let the kids make invitations and place cards. Add some fairy lights (or candles, weather permitting) to the table setting to create a mood. 

You can make this as simple or as extravagant as you want, have your outdoor cozy time during any part of the day and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can move your party indoors.

And don’t forget to share your photos with us!

For fun, here’s a recipe for Snowman S’mores

https://www.mypricechopper.com/fresh-dish/recipes/recipe?id=8227