Hobbies And Interests
Indoor Crafts
When it's too cold to play outside, do some crafts indoors. Make a snowy scene in a shoebox using paint, crayons, a shoe box, cotton balls, glue and glitter. Let the kids paint the inside of the shoe box as the sky. Once the paint dries, turn the box on its side and fill the inside with whatever snow scene their imaginations can create. Glue the cotton balls to the bottom and sides as snow. Draw or paint hills, houses or animals at the back of the box. Use glitter to make the snow sparkly and look more realistic. This craft can also be done on plain construction paper and turned into a wall hanging.
Fun in the Snow
If the kids can go out in the snow, have them create a birdseed snow angel. Lie down in the snow and make a traditional snow angel, making sure not to disturb the image in the snow when you get up. Fill the angel with various kinds of birdseed such as sunflower, thistle and corn. Use pine branches to fill the angel's wings, and you've got an angel that's pretty to look at and also gives birds a tasty snack.
Make a snow mosaic by lying down in the snow and leaving your imprint behind. Fill several pump bottles with water and food coloring, and spray your imprint with your favorite colors. The colors will mix with the snow to create a mosaic effect, and you will be left with a colorful image of yourself in the snow.
Indoor Games
Indoor games are great for days that are too cold for playing outside. Grab a chalkboard or dry erase board, and write different wintertime songs on little slips of paper so kids can play a game called "What's That Song?" Divide the kids into different teams, and have them draw a piece of paper and try to draw clues that will lead their team to the correct song title. Keep up with the score and establish a small prize for each winning team. They can also use these same materials to play winter pictionary. Just use the slips of paper to write common winter objects like mittens, coats or candy canes.
Making Winter Snacks
Making winter-themed snacks is a fun and tasty activity for kids. For a healthy winter snack, lay out grapes, sliced bananas, apples cut into triangles, carrot slivers, mini chocolate chips, pretzel sticks and bamboo skewers so the kids can make a snowman on a stick. On each skewer, have the kids first place a grape and then the apple triangle, which makes a Santa hat. Then slide three pieces of banana on the skewer as the snowman's body. Place the mini chocolate chips on as eyes and buttons. Use the carrot slivers as noses, and the pretzel sticks as arms.