According to Farmers’ Almanac, Ohio can expect a “snow-filled” 2015-2016 winter. This means that your preschooler should have plenty of time to play in the snow. KidActivities.net has provided a long list of outdoor winter activities for young ones—and the young at heart.
Try these fun projects and games:
- Pull out the summer sandbox toys, such as buckets, containers and molds, and create a snow castle. You can use food coloring to add extra details to the castle.
- This next idea, making a snow angel that helps the birds, works better with two people. Have one person lie down to make the snow angel by moving his or her arms up and down to create wings. The other person helps the angel-maker to get up without messing up the imprint. Then, fill the imprint with bird seed in colorful and creative ways. “For a finishing touch, add pine boughs for the angel’s spreading wings.”
- Make a bird journal out of paper with a construction paper cover. Let your preschooler decorate the cover in fun and creative ways, using crayons, markers and other craft supplies you have at home. At the same time every day, observe the outdoors. What is the weather like? What about the sky? Sunny? Snowy? Are birds feeding on the seed that you used in your snow angel? What other animals do you see? Have your child record the daily observations, using art and words as is age-appropriate.
- Create a snow treasure hunt for your child (consider inviting friends over for added excitement). Put treats in a cooler (the “treasure chest”) and hide it outside. Put clues, perhaps using pictures cut out of magazines, in plastic bags and then hide the clue bags in the snow. Start the hunt by providing the first clue.
- Fill squirt bottles with water and food coloring, and then let them draw pictures. Note: smaller bottles are hard to manage, especially with mittens on.
This is just a smattering of the ideas found on the site. If you like these, we suggest that you read the rest of the KidActivities blog post.
Parents.com also lists fun ideas. Do you have any Hula-Hoops? Let your child play with one in the snow. Or let him or her blow bubbles outdoors and watch them freeze. Draw a tic-tac-toe game board in the snow and use pinecones or criss-cross sticks as markers.
FamilyEducation.com suggests a game of winter tug of war. Or you can make a snowman and then take turns trying to throw a hat on its head; whoever succeeds is the winner. For a winter game of pin the tail on the donkey, change it to pin the nose on the snowman—or play footprint tag where the person chasing can only step in footprints previously made.
Caution
Farmers’ Almanac is also predicting a “frigid” winter for Ohio. So be sure to have your preschooler come in frequently to warm up, especially if he or she feels cold or tired.
Looking for more ways to enrich your child’s learning and life? Horizon Education Center provides affordable quality care including educational and enrichment opportunities for children in the following Northeast Ohio locations.
