The prospect of snow is exciting for all children and with the first snow of winter 2012/13 arriving in the UK last week, kids have been desperate to go out and enjoy what is somewhat of a rarity. Here I will suggest a few activities which can be enjoyed by children of all ages to help make sure no one misses out on the fun!
Snowball Fights
Arguably the first thing which springs to every child’s mind when they see snow is to have a snowball fight. While this is always fun, as long as everyone plays safely, there are other ways to practice your aim. Instead of throwing snowballs at one another perhaps set up a target and have competitions between the family members to see who the best snowball thrower is.
Building a Snowman
The first thing most kids want to do after throwing a few snowballs is to build a snowman, building one as big possible is often the aim, it certainly was for me. Encourage children, especially the younger members of the family, to add creative decoration with whatever is to hand: carrots, berries or humble sticks. This will help them get engaged and enjoy the end result, so long as it doesn’t melt too quickly that is!
Alternatively if you are feeling adventurous building an igloo is an activity that will require both teamwork and dedication from everyone, however it is something which the kids will enjoy once built. Several igloos have popped up around the country recently, with a couple of them appearing as spoof listings in Estate Agent windows, or being auctioned off for the charity Cancer Research, on Ebay.
Sledging
If you have a park or hills close by why not spend an afternoon sledging? The positive sledging offers is that it can be enjoyed by all ages, the younger ones can sit on the same sledge as Mum or Dad whilst the older ones can do it on their own. Sledging will offer a great way to spend time outdoors where you can enjoy quality time with the kids. I would suggest taking a couple of flasks of hot chocolate; this will provide a nice warm treat.
Inviting school friends is likely to spark children’s interest and it’s always that bit more fun when shared with friends.
Ice Skating
It may be difficult but try and find an outdoor arena which offers ice skating, although the bigger cities might host one in the centre of town – London, Leeds and Birmingham have hosted them in the past. This is often a challenging activity for all ages however once a few laps have been done you quickly get the hang of it. Always remember to wear gloves and thick socks for comfort when ice skating and enjoy the winter!
This is a guest post from Chris at World Vision, one of the child sponsorship charities operating around the world. Why not share the winter cheer with children in some of the world’s poorest countries?
