So, it finally snowed in Philly! We have been waiting for this snowstorm for a while now. Of course our kids were excited to get outside and have some winter snow fun, and so was I!
I created this bucket list at the beginning of the year and one of my goals is to do all the wonderful snow stuff together. It was great to be able to check something off the list and it was a blast! I’m happy to share some ideas for playing in the snow here, but first, let me break it down for you why snow play is especially great for us:
- Less TV time. My kids watch a lot of TV, and I was happy to dress them up in their snow gear and give them some stimulating time outside. Anything beats the TV, and there’s nothing like the fresh air for our kids who were cooped up at home for the whole week.
- We got to test out our new toy. We recently bought a snow pull along sled and it was perfect for our little one. She loved riding in, and the pull sled with cushions was perfect for the occasion.
- It was a perfect day to let my kids burn off those excess energy. Have you tried walking in snow before? It is by no means easy to move your feet through snow quickly, so playing in snow took some serious muscle work and gave my girls plenty of exercise. Needless to say, it was pretty easy to put them to sleep at the end of the day.
- My girls got to exercise their gross motor and creative skills when they tried to build a snowman with their tiny hands. What more can we ask for?
When I knew that we were getting some snow, I just had to put together a list of fun things to do in snow, and I’m happy to share some ideas for playing in the snow here!
- Build a snowman. Get ready a carrot for its nose, some twigs for the arms and a scarf and hat for the head.
- Have a snowball fight. My daughter loved this. Too bad our little one is still too young for this, but my eldest had so much fun making snow balls and throwing it at a target.
- Go sledding. We are fortunate to have small hills around our house, so we didn’t have to travel far for this. We had a one seater sled, and the girls had to take turns. If you don’t have one, a trashcan lid or even a makeshift sled made out of cardboard will do! Speeding down the hill was so exhilarating. Just make sure someone is at the base of the hill to catch the little ones before they hit a tree!
- Make a snow angel. We loved jumping on a pristine white patch to make snow angels, and we took some great pictures too!
- Bring a bucket and a scooper with you – my daughters had a blast just scooping up snow, loading it into the bucket, and dumping it all out again. Then repeat.
- Bring the snow back home – my eldest loved picking up blocks of snow and called it her “treasure”. She was more interested in storing the snow, but it was a good teaching moment for us. She finally understood that snow will melt when the temperature rises, and it became water after a few days.
- Stomp through snow like a big bad monster and make footprints. My kids loved the crunching sound when we walked on snow.
Be sure to dress your kids with enough layers, and with waterproof boots and gloves. Once they get back inside the comfort of your house, immediately warm them up because those tiny feet and tiny hands will get cold easily. Enjoy!