With January drawing to a close and the holidays seemingly a distant memory, the long slog of the end of winter is setting in. While the days are starting to get longer again, you never really start to feel it until mid-March. For those of us in colder climates the long hours indoors can wear on both our kids and ourselves. But winter does offer some unique opportunities for fun in the cold weather. Here are some ideas about how keep things fun and interesting in the last long stretch of winter
Enjoy some winter sports
Whether your family’s preference is skiing, skating, or sledding (all great s-activities) plan some time to get in your favorite winter sport. For many, skating will be closer and more accessible than skiing or sledding, and also lest dependent on weather. But, more and more ski mountains are finding ways to keep the snow coming all season long! For most, an exciting winter sport is only a bit of a drive away. This excursion can help break up the routine and escape the doldrums of playing in the house. With the help of ChildWatch you can communicate with your child’s teacher about when your family is out for that winter excursion.
Warm up with something freshly baked
Fair warning, this is not for the faint of heart. If you bake with you children, your kitchen will be messy! But you can also make cleaning up part of the activity! I’ve recommended baking before, but it’s one activity I always come back to. It’s so good! It’s math, science, and art all rolled into one activity! If you’re a novice baker, you may want to stick with something super simple like a sugar cookie the kids can decorate. If you’re feeling more adventurous you can challenge your little ones with a cake or whatever tickles your fancy for the Great British Bakeoff challenges! Expect that process to be slow, and you can take advantage of talking about the different ingredients and some of the different things they do. Nothing is more rewarding than getting to feast on something delicious you created!
Go on a search for winter visitors
In many areas there are likely to be birds, bugs, or other animals that appear in the winter which you can’t see in the summer. Research with your kids the animals that appear in your area in winter. You can read books about them, draw pictures, tell stories. Then, find out where they are likely to appear and begin the search! In some places this may be as simple as keeping an eye out on the walk school, or require a more deliberate planned search. Even if you can’t make it to a specific environment to look, your kids now know more about their local ecosystem!
Take advantage of local winter festivals
Many areas have small local festivals or activities throughout the winter. Check out the schedule for your local zoo, rec center, museum, and library! You would be surprised at some of the offerings available!
Here’s to enjoying the last of winter!