Snow Adventures
Given the choice between the Netflix remote and going outside to play, you can about guess which one's been winning in my house lately.
I can't blame the kids. It's been cold, windy, and I haven't been setting the best example of getting dressed in my winter gear and heading outside with them either. Gone are the days of coming in the house, my cheeks nearly frostbitten, from a day of playing outside in the bitter cold. My brother and I raced to put on our snowpants and coats, ideas flying between us of how we were going to build big snow forts out in our grove. We'd play outside until we were blue, coming in only when our stomachs reminded us how many calories it took to try and maintain a stable body temperature in the arctic Minnesota weather!
It's a little different now. One, my kids have access to a steady stream of their TV favorites. There's no need to sit and wait for your favorite shows to scroll by on the old TV Guide channel! Two, they're just young enough to require some level of supervision outdoors, and my willingness to go outside and play is fairly nil--I can convince myself that everything else on my plate is so much more important than teaching them the best way to pack a snowball, or experimenting with building igloos. And three, it's just plain cold out, and it bothers me a lot more than it did when I was their age!
But here's the cold, hard truth of it--we as parents need to be better about setting the example for our kids by enjoying the outdoors with them. Time outdoors with our kids is beneficial, even in short bursts. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas on how to play in the snow with our kids, but here are some of our favorites to get you started:
--Snow Painting: Fill a spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Make a few different colors! Spray the snow with the spray bottles and create beautiful designs that look just like the northern lights!
--Ice Suncatchers: Fill a shallow plastic or metal dish with water. Add in a variety of nature objects, such as sticks, leaves, lemon slices, berries--whatever you come across! Food coloring makes them beautiful as well. Tie a loop in a length of yarn and place one end into the pan, then set outside to freeze. Release the suncatcher from the pan when frozen solid by running warm water over the back of the pan. Hang on a tree branch and enjoy your beautiful suncatcher!
We also have snowshoe and ski rentals available at Shetek Lutheran Ministries for those families who crave some more adventure! Take a pair and head out on your favorite trail, as long as there's 3" of snow or more. Call SLM for current rental rates. Our gear is currently for ages 10 and up, but we are hoping to add more opportunities for our younger campers in the future! We're available Monday through Friday at 507-763-3567, or you can email me at Katie@shetek.org. Go have fun in the snow with your kids!
I can't blame the kids. It's been cold, windy, and I haven't been setting the best example of getting dressed in my winter gear and heading outside with them either. Gone are the days of coming in the house, my cheeks nearly frostbitten, from a day of playing outside in the bitter cold. My brother and I raced to put on our snowpants and coats, ideas flying between us of how we were going to build big snow forts out in our grove. We'd play outside until we were blue, coming in only when our stomachs reminded us how many calories it took to try and maintain a stable body temperature in the arctic Minnesota weather!
It's a little different now. One, my kids have access to a steady stream of their TV favorites. There's no need to sit and wait for your favorite shows to scroll by on the old TV Guide channel! Two, they're just young enough to require some level of supervision outdoors, and my willingness to go outside and play is fairly nil--I can convince myself that everything else on my plate is so much more important than teaching them the best way to pack a snowball, or experimenting with building igloos. And three, it's just plain cold out, and it bothers me a lot more than it did when I was their age!
But here's the cold, hard truth of it--we as parents need to be better about setting the example for our kids by enjoying the outdoors with them. Time outdoors with our kids is beneficial, even in short bursts. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas on how to play in the snow with our kids, but here are some of our favorites to get you started:
--Snow Painting: Fill a spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Make a few different colors! Spray the snow with the spray bottles and create beautiful designs that look just like the northern lights!
--Ice Suncatchers: Fill a shallow plastic or metal dish with water. Add in a variety of nature objects, such as sticks, leaves, lemon slices, berries--whatever you come across! Food coloring makes them beautiful as well. Tie a loop in a length of yarn and place one end into the pan, then set outside to freeze. Release the suncatcher from the pan when frozen solid by running warm water over the back of the pan. Hang on a tree branch and enjoy your beautiful suncatcher!
--Build a Snowman Challenge: Divide into two teams and race to build a full snowman first!
We also have snowshoe and ski rentals available at Shetek Lutheran Ministries for those families who crave some more adventure! Take a pair and head out on your favorite trail, as long as there's 3" of snow or more. Call SLM for current rental rates. Our gear is currently for ages 10 and up, but we are hoping to add more opportunities for our younger campers in the future! We're available Monday through Friday at 507-763-3567, or you can email me at Katie@shetek.org. Go have fun in the snow with your kids!
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