Winter Wonder for Kids

The wonder for kids

Every winter season, I remember those winter wonder days of my childhood. Our outdoor wear was not waterproof. Oh no, it collected snow and wetness that seeped right through the outerwear to our clothing. We came inside from playing, wet and cold, but happy.

We never thanked our older sister Katharine enough for her patience, year after year. It took a long time to get all six of us dressed and out the door to play in the snow. It took just as long when we came inside to de-layer our clothing. We spread the garments across radiators to dry and watched the gloves and sleeves drip water onto the floor. After a few hours, we were back outside again. Same procedure done by the same sister to return to the winter wonderland.

I suppose the quietness of the house made it worth the hassle Katharine endured for our winter “playground”. She also knew that fresh air and exercise were good for our growing bodies, no matter how cold it was outside. So she helped us get dressed, and sometimes came out to watch or take photos.

What to do

When you live in winter snow country, there are so many things to do outdoors.  We had two places to sled: the cow pasture and the big hill on our dirt lane. Where we chose to sled depended on the amount of snow and which place had the best sledding. We sledded in the daytime and after dark. The more kids on a sled, the faster it went, and the more fun. “Trains” with sleds were our favorite sledding activity. Sometimes we connected sleds with our feet, and other times we used the pullropes attached to the front of each sled. 

When the snow was deep in the yard, we played fox-after-the-goose. It took as much time to make the tracks as we actually spent playing, Yet, creativity was part of this game, for making the tracks that were devious was the best part of the plan.

When the snow had the right amount of moisture, we built snowmen. Hats, scarves, coal for eyes and a carrot for a nose were a must.  Both large snowmen and small snowmen were fun.

A few winters, the snow was deep enough in the yard for building igloos. Inside the igloos, we built beds and a bench on which to sit. We bundled our dolls up for the weather and played “Eskimo.” [The photo you see is from such an igloo].

Snow angels left us cold and damp, but were still worth the effort. Mastering the proper technique was an art. One must lie down on a fresh area of snow without making unnecessary prints in the area. After making the angel, the skilled “angel-maker” would get up without leaving any footprints showing at the base of the angel.

Snowball fights were more prevalent at school than at home. This is probably because we were girls and competition was not the name of our game.

Snow – a memory and a wonder for kids

Creativity requires work and effort. Allow your kids to experience their creativity every winter. The fresh air and exercise in the winter outdoors are the best combination to help a child sleep well at night. The extra work is worth the effort. 

Thanks, Katharine, for the memories.