It doesn’t mean that because it’s winter parents have to settle with huddling indoors with their kids. Instead, winter is the best time for families to bundle up outside for some winter fun. Outdoor winter activities are not only good for family bonding they are also beneficial to the health, both the parents and the kids.
Pediatricians and child psychologists agree that children need to be active all year round, and that despite the weather the fun activities must go on. They blame childhood obesity on lack of physical activity and on time spent mostly in front of the TV and the computer.
But before you head straight outside you need to know first some of the best outdoor winter activities that are best for your children. You don’t want to find yourself outside what to do with the cold and all that snow. In this article, we will give you some ideas on what to do outside on this winter season.
Preparation is Important
Before you head outside, make sure the children are properly clothed to be warm. You as parents must bundle up too. Don’t go out if you and your children are not wearing gloves, socks, coats and footwear that is appropriate for the weather. Keep an eye on signs of frostbites in your kids. Signs include numbness and pain in the ears, feet, hands and other extremities, and waxy or hardy skin.
Don’t worry that playing outside in this weather will make your children sick because it will not. The belief that staying outdoors during winter will give your children cold is just an old wives’ tale, says the experts. The key here is appropriate clothing. As what Danes say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.”
Now that you and your kids are prepared for the cold weather outside, here are five fun activities that your children can indulge in.
- Build a Snowman
This is the most traditional activity during winter. There’s no one who hasn’t experienced building a snowman as a kid. There’s a lot of fun in creating balls of snow for the three parts of the snowman. It was a lot of fun for you when were kids. Now it’s time for you as parents to allow your kids to experience it.
- Shoveling Snow
Shoveling is hard work but a real fun for kids. It is a good physical exercise for the kids’ young muscles. You can shovel snow to clear your driveway or the lawn. The kids will not only be having fun while exercising, they are also learning how to help the family survive winter.
- Geocaching
Mention the word “treasure” to your kids and their eyes will surely light up. Kids love adventure and “treasure hunting” is one great winter activity for your kids to develop this sense of adventure in them. With the use of technology, like the global positioning devices, or the GPS, and the Internet, your kids can locate items that you have hidden in the snow outside. You then take the kids outside to hunt for the items.
- Looking for Animal Tracks
Every time it snows, the stage is set for one of the most fun-filled activity for kids and parents: animal tracking. Bring a camera outside and hunt for animal tracks in the freshly-fallen snow. Take pictures of any animal tracks you find and compare these later with animal tracks that you can find in the Internet. Then let your kids identify what animal it is. Your kids will love the sense of mystery that is involved in this activity.
- Flashlight Tagging
If your kids love the game of tag, like most children do, flashlight tagging is ideal for them. This winter game is similar to the classic tag game, except that the players will tag each other not with their hands but with beams of light. Of course, this only works when it’s dark. You and your kids can go outside at night and chase each other with your kiddie flashlights flashing. It is lots of fun.
Other Activities to Choose From
If these five activities are not enough for you, here are some more winter fun games that we recommend: Sledding, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding and hiking. These are traditional winter games that your kids must experience too.
All these winter games can be made more fun if you have the right gadgets and equipment and the right clothing. There are many Danish stores – like this one – that sell kiddies clothing and other items that your children can use to make their winter activities safe and more exciting.
Lorenzo N. writes about all things Danish for international readers.