The winter season doesn’t have to only be about hunkering down under the blankets, even in Buffalo! IVillage.com recently published 50 activities to do with your child during the winter months. Maybe there isn’t enough time to do all 50 activities, but here is my top ten from the list. (in no particular order.)
– Color the snow outside – “Simply fill spray bottles with water and food coloring and let your mini Picassos loose all over the yard.” This is a pretty cool activity, that I definitely would have loved doing growing up….and let’s face it, I’d still love to do it today!
– Put together a 2012 Family Calendar – “Write down every month on a separate piece of paper; fold and toss in a hat, and have everyone in the fam choose a month till they’re all gone. What do they win? Each person has 100 percent control over what picture will be featured on the 2012 calendar for that month. Embrace the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright embarrassing. (Sites like KodakGallery.com and Snapfish.com will create the final product for you. You could also turn to your local photo center at Walgreens or CVS.)” Another fun activity. The picture of my younger sister with popsicle all over her face: Hello miss July!
– Winter Fun Hunt – “Make a list of all the items you want the kids to find and print copies for everyone…Next, get seasonal stickers or stamps to place next to each found item on the list as a reward.” This can be a fun activity for all ages, as the younger children and older children team up to find all of the objects on the list.
– Bake and Decorate Sugar Cookies – “Make ’em, eat ’em, decorate ’em, gift ’em. Bake way more than you could possibly eat and come up with a giant list of people who you can give them to, like the lady who bags your groceries, your kids’ teachers or your neighbors.” – Who doesn’t love sugar cookies with frosting? I’m salivating just thinking about them.
– Make Your Own Snow – “You’ll need a string, white pipe cleaners, blue food coloring, sodium borate (aka Borax — it’s in the laundry aisle), a wide-mouth jar, boiling water and a pencil.” The article also gives these specific directions on how to make snow. For me, this is the coolest item on the list. If you’re living out west, down south or anywhere that doesn’t typically receive snow during the holiday season, what a great gift this would be to give your children?
– Catalog Digital Photos From 2011 – In the age of digital cameras, many times we upload our pictures on to Facebook or Shutterfly and forget they exist. How about going through your favorite photos with your family and choosing the best pictures to make a scrapbook of the year.
– Be a Tourist in Your Own Town – “Double decker bus rides, museum visits, walking tours — who says these things are just for tourists? Pick a day to pretend you and your family are visiting from out of town and look at your city in a whole new way.” For those in Buffalo activities can include the Albright Knox Art Museum, outdoor ice skating at Rotary Rink in Downtown Buffalo and soaking in the Buffalo architecture (including several buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright)
– Save a gift to open on New Years Eve – “Keep the party going by saving one holiday gift to open on New Year’s Eve.”- Really liked IVillage’s idea of moving “Secret Santa” to New Years Eve and re-naming it “Midnight Mystery.”
– Try Out A Winter Sport – In Buffalo there are no shorttage of opportunities for winter sports. There’s ice skating, sledding, tubing, skiing or snowboarding, and much more.
– Host a Karaoke Party – “Rent or borrow a karaoke machine and host an all-holiday sing-along party.” This can be fun for a family party or “adult only New Years Eve” shindig. Either way, you can never go wrong with Karaoke.
Let Your Inner-kid out and have a snowball fight – This was not one of the 50 activities to do with your children during the winter, and my question is….why not? Jumping in the snow, making snow angels, and having a good old fashioned snow ball fight is a great activity for everyone involved.
What are your favorite winter activities to do with your children?
If you’d like to see the complete list from IVillage, please click here.