Family Matters: 10 Fun Winter Activities

Family Matters: 10 Fun Winter Activities

While we wait for the next great snowfall, let's get out there and start having winter fun (and yes, some of these are great for snowy days).

1. Head out on a winter hike. Bring snacks and a thermos of hot soup and/or cocoa. Explore a wildlife refuge. Try it with snowshoes. (Free/Cheap)

2. Make maple snow candy. Think Little House in the Big Woods. Collect a bucket full of freshly fallen snow (it'll come, we promise!). With the help of an adult, kids can heat real maple syrup in a saucepan over low heat until it just begins to boil. Place snow into a mixing bowl. Very gradually add the syrup, stirring constantly. The syrup hardens into candy.

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3. Roll the biggest snowball.  Start with a small ball of snow and continue rolling until you run out of snow, See who has the biggest snowball. Put them together if possible and make a snowman or snow fort.

4. Ice bowling. Fill plastic 10 quart liter bottles and one plastic gallon bottle with water and food coloring and freeze over night. Set up the smaller bottles (pins) and bowl with the gallon bottle. See how many you can knock down.

5. Go sledding. Our list of best places in Rhode Island at kidoinfo.com is right here.

6. Build a fort and have a snowball fight or hang out there and tell winter tales.

7. Look for animal tracks. You can get some great tips from Roger WIlliams Park Zoo on how to identify animal tracks, and here's a fun activity to study your own tracks at home.

8. Feed the birds or go birdwatching. Make a simple pine cone bird feeder. Make your own birdfeeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed.

9. Go ice skating. It's great exercise for all ages, and you can do it at a local outdoor rink (Providence and Newport have great ones), or one of many municipal rinks, as well as some college and university rinks, which have public skating hours posted.

10. Make Snow Art. Fill a spray bottle with water and food coloring of choice. Get outside and start spraying a masterpiece. Remember to switch up the colors!

Anisa Raoof is the publisher and founder of Kidoinfo, the parents' guide for Rhode Island and beyond.

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