It’s the weather right? Tell me it’s the weather. Because my kids are driving me a little nuts these days.
It’s the three o’clock in the afternoon wrestling matches in the living room. And someone always ends up crying.
It’s the four o’clock rodeo in which they ride each other like bucking ponies. And someone always ends up crying.
It’s the five o’clock teasing and door slamming and stomping off to bedrooms. And someone always ends up crying.
But it’s January. And my mothering-experience is telling me that these fits have more to do with cabin fever and lack of fresh air than parenting failures and naughty children.
And so I am determined that despite the below-freezing temperatures, windchill or snow pack, my kids still need to get outside. It doesn’t come naturally in the winter months and it takes some planning and prodding. But the difference it makes in the tone of my household, the relationship between siblings and the sanity of this mama, makes it all worthwhile.
Here are a few ideas on my cold weather to-do list to beat the winter blues, blow off steam, fight cabin fever and get my kids outside:
Build a miniature snowman. Forget the dad-sized snowman, a family of mini-sized snowman will keep them busy and intrigued. There’s no end to the details they can add–from little acorn hats to oak leaf skirts or tiny stick swords.
Search for tracks. Whether it’s the family cat, a grazing deer or the mailman, it’s not only fun to identify the tracks but to follow them, too.
Go on a scavenger hunt. Armed with a simple list and a few supplies like clipboards and magnifying lens, a nature hunt it a great way to get them started on outdoor play. Chances are they’ll still be playing, hunting and discovering, long after the original list has been found.
Geocache. Though I’ve never done it myself, I know lots of families who love this sport. It’s described as “a real-world outdoor treasuring hunting game” where players locate hidden containers (geocaches) using a GPS device.
Take an alphabet hike. Great for the younger crowd, take a walk while searching and identifying your way through the alphabet. And in the quiet of winter, chances are this challenge could be one even my older kids will get into.
Take only pictures. Armed with a new camera she got for Christmas, my daughter is always looking for kodak moments. A photo walk out doors is the perfect excuse for fresh air. And who knows? She may just snap a winner for the 2012 NWF photo contest.
Snowshoe, ski, hike or just plain old kick ‘em out of the house for an hour, how do you get your kids outside in the dead of winter? And c’mon, tell me your kids are a little crazy these days, too? Please.
**The National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Campaign has a great website packed with ideas to encourage kids to enjoy the outdoors. Be sure to check it out!
{About Molly, our Education + Learning blogger: She’s a homeschool mom of four and freelance writer that lives in a fixer-upper farmhouse in rural Maryland. You can find her at her blog Mommy Coddle or find all her favorite things at MommyCoddleLIKES. And she’s on twitter as MommyCoddle}
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thankfully, it snowed here (WI) — finally! My 5 yr. old loves playing in the snow; he just tosses his backpack in the mudroom after school and stays out to play. As for the rest — I have them walk home from school, at the very least. These are kids who love to snowmobile. They can stand a walk home in the cold.
Snow and freezing temperature aren’t much of a problem here (SW Washington State) although we did get a couple of inches yesterday which closed schools (again). It’s really rare so when it does snow all the kids are outside even when it’s just an inch.
Our big problem is it rains. ALL THE TIME. My 10yo spent all day outside with his friends yesterday playing in the slush. He was dismayed to realize his shoes were still soaking wet this morning (he doesn’t have boots and only the one pair of shoes).
As long as it’s above 40F (which is pretty normal) and not pouring down rain then my son will go outside to play with his friends. My 9yo daughter will go hang out at a friend’s house. As will the 5yo. My oldest is the only one that won’t leave the house (she has anxiety issues).
I do notice the kids are much better behaved and tolerable in the summer when they are all spending their entire day (from after breakfast until it gets dark) outside running around and not on top of each other all day.