Snow-Centric Activities for Kids

In mid-winter, when days at the beach and camping trips are only distant memories, it’s harder to get kids outdoors. Even if your family travel plans don’t include a ski resort, you can find plenty of ways to get kids outside when the ground is covered with snow.

Getting them outside is even more important in winter because fresh air and sunlight play a big role in kids’ health. Breathing air free of recycled germs, exercising their muscles, absorbing Vitamin D and counteracting the effects of blue light from electronic devices are only a few of the health rewards of playing outdoors.

Build in the Snow
When the snow is a little sticky instead of dry and fluffy, channel their inner sculptor or engineer by using snow as construction material. Building a snow fort requires some structural engineering (a wall will only go so high without extra support), and a snow figure can become a work of art with some imaginative decorating.

Track Animal Prints, Catch Snowflakes
Be creative yourself in thinking of other ways to use the snow. Get a simple plastic-coated animal track guide so kids can identify small visitors to their yard. While it’s snowing, give kids pieces of black or dark-colored felt to catch snowflakes. Look at them through a magnifier to see if any two are alike.

Make Snow Angels, Sled Down Hills
Younger kids can make snow angels in fresh snow, and older ones will probably join the fun. If your kids are lucky enough to have a nearby hill, sleds and saucers are a natural choice on fresh snow.

Make Ice Cream
And did you know you can make ice cream using snow and rock salt as the cooler? Get the recipe here.

Go Tubing, Ice Skating
Nearby attractions are a natural fit for getting kids outdoors. Most downhill ski areas have tubing hills along with skiing. Ice skating rinks and cross-country ski areas usually have rental equipment; Nordic areas often have snowshoes and can give lessons or tips for beginners.

Visit a Nature Center or Park
Nature centers, reserves and public parks have trails your family can use for snowshoeing and cross-country, or for winter hiking when the snow isn’t too deep. Traveling through the winter woods is a good time to look for animal tracks and maybe spot some different from those in your yard. How many different varieties of pine and evergreen trees can your kids spot by the needles? The winter world is full of possibilities for treasure hunts and snow play.