It's tempting to spend much of the winter hunkered down inside under a pile of blankets — and it’s no wonder! When it snows where the wind blows, it’s hard to mind the motivation to go outside. Oak Lawn gets about 32 inches of snow each year — that’s 4 inches more than the national average. What to do? Along with so many indoor activities for children, there's plenty to do outdoors. The trick is finding something that will motivate them to connect with nature this winter.
1. Garden
1. Garden
Kids love dirt! (Especially when they're dressed in their finest clothes.) Bundle them up, and introduce them to the joys of winter gardening. Evergreen hollies, snowdrop bulbs, and purple coneflowers hold up quite well in winter and are suitable for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 7. Ornamental kale and cabbage plants brighten up your landscape. An added bonus? Kids will want to eat what they grow. Buy your children some kid-sized garden tools, give them their own plot, and they'll take pride in their accomplishments.
If snow prevents you from gardening outdoors, try an indoor garden. Hydroponic kits and greenhouses are a start to a lifelong love of green thumbing.
2. Take a Hike
Cold weather doesn’t have to keep you indoors. A thick coat, scarf, and heavy boots, and you're ready for a hike through the snow with your children or grandchildren. Breathe in the fresh air, feel the snowflakes falling on your tongues, and note the glittering sheets of snow and ice. Snow captures the footprints of different animals — you can guess which critter they belong to and take a picture with your cellphone. Point out that no two snowflakes are alike. And think of that nice cup of hot chocolate waiting for you when you return home!
3. Bird Watching
If snow prevents you from gardening outdoors, try an indoor garden. Hydroponic kits and greenhouses are a start to a lifelong love of green thumbing.
2. Take a Hike
Cold weather doesn’t have to keep you indoors. A thick coat, scarf, and heavy boots, and you're ready for a hike through the snow with your children or grandchildren. Breathe in the fresh air, feel the snowflakes falling on your tongues, and note the glittering sheets of snow and ice. Snow captures the footprints of different animals — you can guess which critter they belong to and take a picture with your cellphone. Point out that no two snowflakes are alike. And think of that nice cup of hot chocolate waiting for you when you return home!
3. Bird Watching
Not all birds fly south for the winter. Feathered friends will visit your backyard with a little enticement. Put up a few bird feeders around the backyard where kids can watch from a nearby window. Guidebooks and the internet can help you to identify different cold-winter birds such as cardinals, blue jays, black-capped chickadees, woodpeckers, and snowy owls. Talk about how some birds must seek warmer weather, but others can survive in below-freezing temperatures. Birdhouses may encourage winter birds to come back for a visit in the spring and summer.
4. Treasure Hunt
Nature’s treasure hunts are great for all seasons, even when there's snow on the ground. Make a scavenger hunt list for kids to find: rocks, twigs, leaves, pine cones, empty (fallen) birds’ nests and such. Have them take pictures of birds and trees. Teach your kids about keeping our environment clean by grabbing a few trash bags and picking up litter. A clean planet Earth is a treasure in itself.
5. Snow Day!
4. Treasure Hunt
Nature’s treasure hunts are great for all seasons, even when there's snow on the ground. Make a scavenger hunt list for kids to find: rocks, twigs, leaves, pine cones, empty (fallen) birds’ nests and such. Have them take pictures of birds and trees. Teach your kids about keeping our environment clean by grabbing a few trash bags and picking up litter. A clean planet Earth is a treasure in itself.
5. Snow Day!
Snow is part of life. As adults we tend to see it as inconvenient, messy, and exhausting, especially when you have to clear it from the driveway and walkways. Kids often enjoy it, because it means a day off from school. But it doesn't have to mean a day off from learning. Take time to play in the snow. Learn the science of building and lighting an igloo. They'll actually look forward to winter activities like sledding, skiing, tubing, and making that snowman. Start a snowball fight!
6. Indoors
Not every winter day is suitable for outdoor activities, but kids can still connect to nature through books, children’s museums, arts and crafts, science projects, and the like. This is the perfect time to go to the garage and build that birdhouse! Grab a large measuring cup and find out how much snow you need to melt to get a cup of water.
Frigid weather won’t stop children from wanting to go outdoors. They may not even feel the cold! It's the parents who often need some encouragement. Be a role model and take advantage of winter’s unique opportunities!
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K. DeShawn Smith caught a fish on his first camping trip and he’s been hooked on the outdoors ever since, whether viewed from the deck of a luxurious ski lodge or a hike-in campsite deep in the woods.
6. Indoors
Not every winter day is suitable for outdoor activities, but kids can still connect to nature through books, children’s museums, arts and crafts, science projects, and the like. This is the perfect time to go to the garage and build that birdhouse! Grab a large measuring cup and find out how much snow you need to melt to get a cup of water.
Frigid weather won’t stop children from wanting to go outdoors. They may not even feel the cold! It's the parents who often need some encouragement. Be a role model and take advantage of winter’s unique opportunities!
----------
K. DeShawn Smith caught a fish on his first camping trip and he’s been hooked on the outdoors ever since, whether viewed from the deck of a luxurious ski lodge or a hike-in campsite deep in the woods.
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