Here are just a couple of the great ideas!
Want to go outside and enjoy the snow?
There's no need to get cold feet about spending a winter day outdoors. Instead, bundle up and follow your kids to the nearest drift for a snow pile of fun. Here are seven winter games to get your family started.
JUMP SNOW HURDLES
Lightly pack a bunch of basketball-size snowballs and then use them to build a course of hurdles to jump over in a round of follow the leader.ROPE TOW
Team up for a slip-sliding variation of tug-of-war. Tamp down a wide, shallow trench in the snow to serve as the midline. Then, take up positions at the ends of a long, thick rope and let the tugging and towing begin. Whichever team pulls the entire opposing group over to its side of the trench wins.FLAG IN A SNOW STACK
Tie a white cloth to the end of a short stick or around the bowl of a wooden spoon. Then, give each child a chance to hide it by staking it anywhere within a predetermined set of boundaries. Keep track of how long it takes for the rest of the group to find it. Whoever hid the flag that takes the longest time to spot wins the game.STRIKE OUT
For this pitching contest, first mound up snow to create three bases and a pitcher's mound. They should each be about 2 feet high and 20 feet apart. Next, build a tin can pyramid on each base. The challenge is to knock down the stacks in order from first to third base by throwing snowballs from the pitcher's mound. The child who succeeds with the fewest pitches wins.HAT TRICK
Once you've built a plump, frosty snowman to stand sentry in your front yard, make a game of topping him off in style. Take turns trying to land a hat on his head by throwing it Frisbee style from 10 or so feet away.GET ON A ROLL
Pair up for a contest in which the object is to finish with the biggest snowball. The contest ends when the teams can no longer roll their entries or when you run out of snow.POWDER-PUFF FOOTBALL
All you need are two teams of three or more people to play, along with a spray bottle filled with a mix of water and food coloring to mark the playing field (a large rectangle with a centerline should suffice). The teams line up at opposite ends of the field (the North and South poles) for a kickoff. Once someone on the receiving team catches the ball, he tries to move it back across the defense's goal line by running with it or passing it to a teammate. Play stops if the person with the ball is tagged by an opponent or slides out of bounds. The teams then face off again on the spot. After four tries, or a touchdown, the ball goes to the other team. The game ends when either team gets cold. For more winter fun,try out these seven Ice Games.Want to stay inside?
Make Homemade Snow Dough!
Ages: 18 months and up
Your kids don't have to wait for an actual snow day to have some wintry fun. Just whip up a batch of this sparkling white play dough. Younger tots will enjoy squishing the clay, while older siblings might like using small twigs, dried beans, and tiny carrot sticks to create Frosty and pals. Other useful props: cupcake wrappers, colorful beads, paper drink umbrellas, egg carton cups, and snowflake cookie cutters.
- Materials
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- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons white tempera paint
- 1 tablespoon white or iridescent glitter
- A few drops of peppermint extract (optional)
- To make a batch, combine all of the ingredients except the peppermint extract (if using) in a medium-size pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture holds together, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Turn the play dough onto a waxed paper–lined counter to cool, about 15 minutes. If you like, knead in peppermint extract for a festive holiday scent. Store the cooled play dough in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
And of course! Don't forget to enjoy some hot cocoa!!!!! (And maybe your favorite Disney Movie!)
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