Frosty Frolics: Dive Into a World of Winter Fun with Your Kids
Winter can be a magical time for families, especially when you embrace the outdoors with your children. It’s a season filled with unique opportunities for learning, playing, and exploring. Here are some creative and inspiring ways to get outside with your kids during the colder months.
Hiking and Exploration
Visit local playgrounds like Willow Park, Lions Park in Hyde Park, and Whittier. These become winter wonderlands for children, offering a different but equally fun experience compared to warmer months.
Trails like Green Canyon, including Kings Nature Park, offer great hiking experiences. Remember sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Don’t worry about getting somewhere specific but seeing what catches your kids attention and building on their imaginative play and creativity (even if you never leave the parking lot!)
Don’t forget to try winter camping, even if it's just setting up a tent in your garage or carport.
Creative Play- Music, Art, and Nature
Use sticks as instruments, fostering creativity and musical exploration. Encourage your kids to gather sticks and rocks to make music. Setting positive boundaries on where and how different items can be used is key to ensuring safe and enjoyable play. Use plastic toys to make tracks in the snow and pretend you are following different animals. You can also make art in the snow by mixing food coloring in spray bottles for your little ones to create their own colorful masterpiece.
Don’t be Afraid of the Dark
Turn simple walks into adventures with headlamps, battery-powered Christmas lights, glow sticks, and battery-powered jar candles. Winter evenings are perfect for snow stomping, creating a symphony on the crunchy snow, and even using sparklers (with gloves, of course!).
For more evening of fun, visit a local light show, check out your neighborhood christmas lights, or set up an outdoor movie. You could also organize neighborhood scavenger hunts or simply gaze at the stars. These activities are not only fun but also educational.
Kitchen in the Snow
Create an outdoor kitchen using pots, pans, and other kitchen items. This not only encourages imaginative play but also teaches kids about different uses for everyday items. Take your soup ladles and spoons outside for a unique snow-scooping experience. Add some color to the snow with food coloring in spray bottles. You can also make snow ice cream or snowcones by sprinkling kool-aid powder over a bowl or cone of fresh snow!
Outdoor Dining
Make meals outside or take your dining expereince outside. Kids love the novelty and fun of changing up your mealtime environment. Bundle up and eat outside at a picnic table, set up a blanket, or build a fort to sit in.
Reading in Nature
Set up a hammock and bundle up with your kids to read books. This is a cozy way to enjoy the outdoors and instill a love for reading. The change of scenery will make the activity feel even more special, you could add to the theme by reading books about winter, snow, or the holidays.
Winter Sports
Introduce your kids to sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or winter hiking. These activities are not only fun but also promote physical health. Remember to set realistic goals and focus on just getting outside even if it’s for a short time. Starting small and celebrating little victories will help your kids form positive memories with playing outside even when it’s cold. As they grow and get more accustomed to time outside you can plan longer adventures.
Themed Play
Leave your water table outside for polar-themed play or watch bubbles freeze at low temperatures. Add animal figurines to create a winter scene, build homes for the animals, or create animal tracks in the snow.
Mindset for Outdoor Play
Remember, it’s about practicing and building a habit. Start small, celebrate small victories, and keep a low bar. The goal is simply to get outside. Practice acceptance and remember why you’re doing it. It’s not just for your kids, but for you too! When things get overwhelming indoors, step outside to reset and recharge.
More Resources
Be Wild + Free - Combine homeschooling with outdoor adventures. Use nature as your classroom, incorporating adventure and interactive learning.
https://www.bewildandfree.org/
1000 Hours Outside
The "1000 Hours Outside" podcast is an excellent resource for ideas and inspiration, encouraging families to take on the 1000 hours challenge.
https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/
Final Thoughts
"Make the most of everything and follow their lead." If your child wants to throw rocks in a lake, join them. It's these simple, unplanned moments that often create the most lasting memories. So bundle up, step outside, and embrace the wonder of winter with your kids!
