Winter Inside and Out

winter activities

Often in winter it’s challenging to get active. Our bodies slow down, we just want to cozy up on the couch and watch movies. It can be a challenge in the cooler weather to not only get outside but to find fun and engaging winter activities. Both you and the kids start to experience cabin fever as you’ve done all the regular activities inside and out. Not only is everyone bouncing off the walls but you need some fresh ideas to enjoy the winter season. With Calgary winters often being long and chilly it is time to get creative!

For me I like to google it and see what’s out there for indoor and outdoor activities in the winter. Not only does it get my own creative juices flowing and I create activities of my own, I find some really cool ideas. These are just a few of winter activity ideas I recently found, but these are my favorites! So whether you’re inside or out, here are some unique indoor and outdoor activities for winter that will not only keep the kids occupied, but engage their imagination as well.

Outside

You’ve gone skiing, skating, tobogganing, and built many snowmen. There’s even a giant snowfort in your front yard that if it gets any bigger you will not be able to get to the front door. These outdoor activities will expand kids fun time outside and will definitely expand their horizons and create something new.

1-     A winter picnic. Pack sandwiches, cookies, and thermos of hot chocolate. Take a blanket and enjoy a picnic in our winter wonderland.

ice castles2-    Ice castles. Fill a variety of ice cream and yogurt containers with water; let them freeze overnight. Once they are frozen, take them out of the containers and build your castle. For a splash of color, put food coloring into the water before freezing.

3-    A scavenger hunt. Make a list of winter items, get the kids to help you with this beforehand, then go out and see how many you can find. A short list of 10 items is great, and learning about what there is in nature in winter.

4-    Snow mini-golf. Set up a mini golf course in your backyard using a variety of items from the house. Tramp down the snow to make paths, uneven surfaces and use things like hoola hoops, plastic rings, and balls to set up a course. Grab a putter and you’re ready to go.

animal track5-    Look for animal tracks. Winter is one of the best times to find tracks as the snow makes it easier to spot them. Go for a walk and bring a guide book to help the kids figure out what the track is (find one at the local library, find one online or purchase one like Animal Tracks of Alberta
on Amazon). As an option, bring your camera to take pictures of the tracks, so you can look at and identify them at home.

 

Inside

There are many indoor venues to go to in the winter to keep busy; the swimming pool, library, and local museum. At home it can be a bit more challenging, and after baking the 12th batch of cookies, and having multiple friends over, you need a little variety.

1-    Build a fort. Use couch cushions, blankets and cardboard boxes. Let the kids be creative as they build, let them knock it down a few times – and rebuild. Once completed they can enjoy playing in it. (Ensure it is safe and under adult supervision).

2-    Create a play. Have the kids write their own play, assign parts and do a performance. Kids can create the stage, costumes, props and present to friends and family.

IMG_69113-    Make an indoor snowman. This works great with a big group of kids; split them into 2 teams, give each team a roll of toilet paper. One team member is the model and the others wrap the model in tp to turn them into a snowman. Use construction paper to make the nose, eyes and other features.

4-    A puppet show. If you have puppets grab them, otherwise the kids can make their own. They can also make their own puppet theater and present to friends and family.

5-    Play hide and seek. Who says this is just an outdoor game? Set clear guidelines and boundaries about where to hide and let the game begin.

Do you have any great indoor or outdoor winter activities? Share your favorites below!

Winter Fun in Edmonton

Skating is a fantastic, fun, free winter activity. Enjoyed outside in the crisp winter air, no matter what your age, a good time is had by all.

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with my cousin Jimmy and his wife Allison. We ventured out to Hawrelak Park, which is a favorite place of mine in Edmonton and enjoyed some time on the ice.

Unfortunately we did not have skates for the twins, and though we could have rented some I decided not to this time around. We had a hoot! Luke and Chloe found pylons to push around and ‘skate’ with, while the rest of us played games of tag and chased each other around.

And when we were tired, we took a rest, or just sat down on the ice for something to do. Why not?

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Tobogganing Fun for Everyone

Tobogganing is one of the most fun and inexpensive winter activities out there. All you need is a sled, some snow, a hill and you’re off! We took Luke and Chloe for the first time this weekend and it was a blast!

A little apprehensive at first, as I was putting the sled at the top of the hill, Chloe sitting and looking down. But once we started moving and coasting down the hill, her screams of delight filled the air, with cries of “Again! Again!” when we go to the bottom of the hill.

Luke loved it to, ‘crashing’ with D’Wayne after each run. It got to the point where he was announcing they would crash before they even left the top of the hill 🙂

Even adults love this activity. I watched as other parents looked on watching their kids, itching to go themselves, and once they finally did, their entire faces lighting up with smiles and laughs. Then they went up the hill for another run. I cannot think of any adult, unless they had a traumatic experience or a fear of heights, that does not enjoy speeding down the hill. It’s that rush of speed as you fly across the snow, coasting to the bottom. You could hear my own screams of delight as we zoomed down the hill and I had no problems going again.

We had a fabulous afternoon with the twins already asking to go again. And I’ll be honest, I can’t wait to go too 🙂

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