Top Winter Experiences

When the weather is cold and snowy it’s easy to stay inside where it’s warm. But winter can offer some amazing experiences that can’t be had at any other time of year, especially for children! These are the top winter experiences (in our opinion) along with what your student or child can learn from them.

1.      Ice Fishing. There’s a lot to be learned from the sport of ice fishing. While it isn’t so unusual to take kids out fishing, ice fishing comes with an entirely different skill set. Children can learn about the right types of clothing they need not only to stay warm, but dry. They’ll learn about the basic safety gear needed when going on an adventure like this. Most importantly, they’ll learn more about the dangers of ice.

2.      Create a New Snow Sport. Who says outdoor fun has to stop just because there’s snow on the ground? Push kids to be creative by thinking up their own winter version of the sports they love. What about ice bowling? Snow golfing? This gets kids outside but also forces them to think critically and creatively.

3.      Go Winter Camping, or rent a cabin with the absolute bare necessities. This is another fantastic way to teach kids basic survival skills and to see how their ancestors used to survive in winter weather. Plus winter camping comes with a whole range of activities, such as ice skating and winter hiking.

4.      Attend A Winter Festival. While we tend to think of festivals as a summer activity, winter festivals are a unique experience that can only be had when surrounded by snow and ice. Common activities include snow and ice sculpture contests, chili contests, dog sled rides, and more.

5.      Build A Snow Fort. Make it extensive, with mazes and hiding areas. There’s tons of ways to make a snow fort, so watch your kids go at it (though of course, ensure that it is safe). This can help with construction skills, critical thinking, and fine-motor skills.

6.      Take Kids Tracking. If you can get to a forest this is even better. You can teach kids about different animal prints, how to track, and how humans have been tracking animals for hundreds of years. If you don’t believe you’re experienced enough to do this, there’s sure to be a tracking class or event somewhere nearby.

7.      Make Art Using Ice. This is more complicated than making a snowman and really makes kids think. Start by freezing water into ice. Use ice cube trays, muffin tins, old containers…whatever you can find. You may choose to use food coloring to turn the ice different colors. Next take your kids outside and have them build their own ice art and structures. A bit of water will help connect the different pieces of ice together.

8.      Play Classic Children’s Games In Winter. Playing these games in winter adds a fun extra challenge. Tug of war becomes a slippery challenge. Dodge ball uses snowballs instead of balls. Freeze tag becomes even more challenging when you have to freeze in the snow. How else can these games take on a winter twist?

9.      Use The Snow To Cook. There’s tons of snow-themed recipes out there, which can be used to help teach younger kids about basic cooking. Snow ice cream is a popular favorite, and you can also try making maple candy (just like in Little House On The Prairie).

10.   Go Snowshoeing. This activity started as a mode of transportation and has evolved into a classic winter pastime. It is easy to learn and allows you to see places you may not otherwise have easy access to in winter. Teach kids about staying safe while snowshoeing, and about how snowshoeing came to be.

Winter Bucket List

Winter is a wonderful time of year. It is easy for the cold, cloudy days to take a toll and make you feel depressed and lethargic. But winter isn’t going away anytime soon, so instead you should take the time to enjoy it, and to enjoy it with your students! The ideas we are going to present you with here work great for field trips or just as ideas to give your students to get them outside appreciating nature, instead of inside playing video games for the next several months.

1.      Go sledding. As long as this activity is done in a safe location, it is a great activity for students. This is the perfect opportunity to explain sledding safety to your students. The most important step they can take is to choose a safe hill. Hills should not be too steep and should have a good, flat surface for the sled to stop on, with no roads or sidewalks in the way. Hills should also be free of trees fences, and other dangers. Additionally, hills should be snow covered, not ice covered. Falling off a sled onto ice can cause serious damage. These tips will help your students have a great time sledding, and stay safe.

2.      Go ice skating. This is another activity that can end in injury, so it is important that you give your students plenty of safety tips so they don’t get hurt. Students should be sure to lace their skates up tightly. A loose skate means a better chance of falling. While many people don’t do this, a helmet is a great way to prevent serious head injury. And something to remember when it comes to ice skating is that you will always fall. The key is to fall correctly, protecting your head, wrists, and hands. This doesn’t stop a fall from hurting, but it does stop it from causing a severe injury. 

3.      Go skiing. While skiing may sound like a dangerous sport, it is actually quite safe when done correctly. I was taken on several skiing field trips in middle school, and I’d never skied before in my life. This is a great field trip opportunity, though a pricey one. Skiing is something you really want to leave to a professional. They can teach kids how to balance, move, fall correctly, and avoid any dangers associated with the sport. When done correctly, skiing is an exhilarating and fun school trip and family activity for the winter months.

4.      Take a winter hike. Winter hikes are a great way to show natural terrain in a whole new way. Hiking in winter does present a series of challenges. Obstacles may be concealed by the snow, so students must take caution while walking. Winter hikes keep students outdoors. They’ll see animal tracks, snow-covered trees, frozen streams, and other wonders that can only be seen during a winter hike.

5.      Create a winter scavenger hunt. You can find plenty of examples online with a simple Google search. It may seem that in winter there’s not much to look for, but that’s not true. This scavenger hunt can be both to collect items, and simply spot items. Animal tracks, pine cones, icicles, berries, and frozen puddles are all great examples of scavenger hunt items.

6.      Organize a classroom-wide snowball fight. You will of course want to establish a few rules to keep the activity fun and safe. The biggest rule by far is that snowballs can only be made with snow. Threaten that any ice, twigs, or other items placed in snowballs will end the game and bring about severe consequences. There should also be boundaries, such as no aiming for the head or direct physical contact. From there pick the teams, let them make a base, and watch the battle!

7.      Go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride. Rides like this are sometimes offered in the city, but the best place to do an activity like this is in the countryside. Students can experience sitting in a sled or wagon and being pulled through the fields and woods by a team of horses. It’s a great opportunity to teach about the past, get students closer to nature, and learn more about animals.

8.      Make ice cream out of snow! This is a fun, cheap activity that your students will love. Do some searching online to find the recipe that is perfect for your classroom. You’ll find there are many different recipes and methods for this tasty concoction.

9.      Attend a winter festival. This is of course an activity you will likely not do with your students, but it’s a great activity to share with them. Many cities have some form of a winter festival. These winter festivals often have activities to offer that students won’t find anywhere else. Examples include snowshoeing, dog sled races, ice sculpture contests, and more. Winter festivals can make the bleakness of winter more exciting with unique activities.

10.   Make snow art! There’s tons of great ways to use snow to create art. And we mean beyond creating snowmen and snow angels. You can do crafting with snow, and even add other materials. A great example is snow painting. Using food coloring with water in spray bottles gives students the tools they need to make art outside. You may also choose to include paintbrushes and bowls of “paint” but this can get complicated and a bit messier. Either way, making art with snow is a great way to nurture creativity.