There is something magical about the first snowfall of the year. There’s something equally awe-inspiring about the first time you can barely step outside of your door because the snow comes up to your shin.
The snow shimmies a rainbow glimmer once the sun peaks its head over the horizon. You crank up the heating inside your house, apartment or cabin and pull the snow pants, gloves, and thick hats out of the deep storage.
For young ones, it’s an incredibly special time of year. With winter and snowfall come traditions, holidays, family gatherings, and the opportunity to race around in the snow with big boots.
In a typical non-COVID-19 year, children would be out of school for a long break. They’d get ready for the receipt of presents and talk excitedly with friends, siblings, cousins, and other members of the family about what they would love to see underneath the wrapping paper.
For us grownups, the same magic may have faded since our younger years, but traditions must carry on. With the kids out of school, it’s our job to make sure they have enough things to do to stop them from running around the house for hours on end.
These eight activities are sure to delight and will make the whole family remember the winter holiday for years to come.
Have a snowball fight
This is a classic.
Maybe don’t wind up an 80-kilometer hour iceball aimed straight at Timmy’s head, but a soft snowball fight (especially with teams of two or more) is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Get the family together and if you don’t have equal teams, recruit some of the neighborhood kids or moms and dads.
Have the kids pick teams (hopefully your little one picks you on their team) and separate each other on opposite ends of an open field or backyard.
Classic dodgeball rules apply. You get hit, you’re out. Catches get the whole team back in. No ice balls.
Let the games begin.
Teach them a new board game
When the weather outside is just too frightening, round up the children and introduce them to a brand new board game. Whip out Articulate!, Scrabble, Monopoly, Guess Who? Battleship, or one of the many other classic board games available to you.
If your kids don’t know a specific game, make the evening a learning experience for them.
No cheating.
Try out an escape room
Imagine being “locked” in a room with nothing but your family and a few clues available to you. You must solve the room’s riddles and puzzles to solve a themed mission, all before the time runs out.
That’s precisely the idea behind the incredibly fun escape room.
There are various themed rooms you can check out, including everything from the casino and the dancefloor to the 1920s.
So wrangle up the whole family and get ready for an hour of adrenaline-packed and wonderfully-unique fun. As soon as the door shuts behind you, you’ll have 60 minutes to figure out the clues and the puzzles and escape the room!
There’s plenty of old traditions to continue. Why not make a new one?
Go sledding
Want to talk about a rush for a little kid?
Bundle them up in a scarf, a long hat, boots, and three layers of pants, strap them to a plastic or wooden sled and push them down a hill.
Pure bliss.
Sure, there may be a few faces full of snow, maybe a cut lip. But that is a risk most kids are willing to take.
Just make sure there are no trees in the immediate vicinity and let the fun begin!
Oh, and don’t forget about the races. It’s the fairest if you let the kids have a bit of a head start.
Visit iconic landmarks
Are there a bunch of tourist attractions near to your house or flat, yet you’ve never visited them because you’ve always thought you could go anytime?
Now is that time.
The kids are out of school, and there are no more excuses. Imagine seeing Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Stonehenge, or Edinburgh Castle for the first time as a family.
Better yet, make it an annual tradition and make sure you bring some snacks and a few cameras to remember the memories forever.
Don’t let the significant sights pass you by until it’s too late.
Maybe load up some history about the locations to school your kids (and perhaps even yourself) once you arrive.
Winter scavenger hunt
If the vibe inside the house is a little crazy, it’s time to set up an outdoor scavenger hunt.
Make a treasure map on an old piece of paper or a blank piece of printer paper. Whatever you have laying around will suffice.
Go outside and make four or five different clues building upon the first treasure map. Once the kids have found the final clue, make sure there is something worthwhile inside so that they will be excited about next year’s scavenger hunt!
Geocaching
Want to take the scavenger hunt to the next level? Join the world’s largest when you start your geocaching adventure.
Go to the world’s largest geocaching website and get clues on how and where to find treasures around your country, city, or neighbourhood.
This activity especially works well for youngsters interested in geography and science, as the treasures can be anywhere!
Typical findings include toys, notebooks, old trinkets, and much, much more.
Snow angels
An oldie but a goody.
It’s dusk. A new fresh snowfall has arrived, and it’s untouched outside your door.
You just finished your dinner, and the water for the hot cocoa is boiling. You know you have a warm beverage waiting for you when you come inside, so why not have a little fun before the sun goes down for good.
Get outside with the whole family and make some snow angels while big chunky snowflakes float down from above.
Don’t forget to take a picture of your work.
Now, where’s that cocoa?
