Family Outdoor Activities during the Winter Season

For most families, the winter months mean staying indoors.  There are, however, many fun outdoor activities that families can share during the winter season, some of which are out of the ordinary way of thinking.

Colored Ice Sculptures and Snow Painting

You can create colorful ice sculptures using empty milk cartons and food coloring.

Fill an empty milk carton with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Leave the colored water outside to freeze for several hours.  You may need to rip open the milk carton to remove the block of ice, so having several empty cartons saved is an excellent idea. It also allows you to make several blocks at once.

When you’re finished, you will have several colorful blocks of ice to make castles, inukshuks or other types of sculptures. 

Another option is to paint the snow itself. The only items you will need for this activity are a few squirt bottles, food coloring, water and imagination.

Fill the squirt bottles with water and a few drops of food coloring.  This will be your “paint.”  Simply spray the colored water on the snow to color it and create pictures and designs.

Creating little games out of this is easy for parents to do.  Tic-Tac-Toe, snow-hopscotch, painting summer-time scenes and more are easily accomplished with snow painting.

Make New Animal Friends

It’s not uncommon in fair weather to take a trip to the park to feed the ducks or squirrels, but animals need to eat in the winter too! Plan a trip to a local retailer that sells heated water bowls.  While you are out, pick up bird feed as well.  When you have the items, gather the family in an area that would be easily visible from inside of your home.

If there is snow on the ground, clear out a square of the area with a shovel and place the bowl in the center, after filling it with water.  Surround the area with bird seed and sticks with colorful streamers or decorated with painted flowers.

If you have a big yard or live in a secluded area, you could also set up a salt-lick for deer and other animals, as well as laying out fresh food for them.

Once it is all set up, keep an eye out for new friends to come along and enjoy your little “Spring Zone.”  Parents could set up a camera at the window that looks out on the area to photograph any animals and birds that visit.

Most children enjoy spending quality time doing activities with their parents. It’s a good opportunity to teach them to think kindly of birds and animals.

The Obvious Choices

The standard winter activities, such as skiing, sledding, hockey and ice skating, are always fun for families to do together.  No matter what activities you take part in, make sure to have plenty of drinkable water and loosely layered clothing; tight-fitting clothes do not offer as much protection from the cold and will cause you to lose body heat faster than multiple loose layers.

Winter Camping

With the proper precautions and preparations, camping in the winter time can be just as fun and rewarding as it is through the rest of the year.  Most families will use a camper for this, since tents are difficult to keep warm; however, either method will work.

Double-lined sleeping bags, extra clothing and plenty of high-protein foods are essential items when camping in the winter months.  Placing brightly-colored tags on any small items will help you find them if they are lost.  Place any items that need to stay dry in seal-able plastic bags

Make sure to have fire-starting materials and bring your own dry wood for fires; dry wood may not be readily available at the campsite if snowfall occurs.  Invest in a windscreen to help keep fire lit as well as giving some shelter when sitting outside.

Though it is tempting to stay indoors during the winter months, being outside in natural sunlight has important health benefits, such as Vitamin D production.  Outdoor activities with the family during the winter season are not only important, but can be great fun, as well.