- Tips for Preparing Your Family
to Play Outside in the Snow
- By Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam
Preparation is the key to playing
outside in the snow. If you are prepared, your family can have
a great time playing even in the winter weather. If you're not
prepared, snow play can be a miserable experience for everyone.
Try using these tips and enjoy your time outside longer!
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You don’t need snow suits
or snow boots to have fun in the snow (although boots are nice
if the snow is deep). For the most comfortable experience outside
in the snow, layer clothes. Wear sweats or long underwear under
jeans (or wear two pairs of jeans). A turtleneck or t-shirt under
a sweater with a coat on top will keep
everyone warm even if they crash their sleds in the snow. Put
double socks on everyone and double mittens and gloves if needed.
Keep everyone’s feet dry.
Put plastic bags over socks. Use a rubber band to hold them up
or tie the handles of the bags around their legs. Then put their
shoes on. Pull their pants down over the tops of the plastic
bags. This keeps everyone’s feet dry. Wet feet will cause
everyone to feel colder, but keeping their feet dry will enable
them to stay out and have fun longer. |
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For children, purchase many pairs
of identical gloves. Santa brought our three kids ten pairs of
black gloves. That way, when one pair gets wet we can just trade
it for a dry one. Each kid can soak two or three pairs of gloves
in one day’s sledding. By the way, Santa only paid $5 for
all them on sale after Thanksgiving.
When you don’t have hat,
wrap a scarf over your head to cover your ears.
Quick Hand Warmers - Microwave
potatoes for 5-10 minutes until very hot. After you remove from
the microwave, wrap in foil, then wrap in a towel and put inside
a cooler. When you need to thaw your hands, pull one out and
wrap your hands around it for a quick warm up. When you’re
done, dinner is ready. – Just add sour cream and butter
;-)
Make hot cocoa and some cookies
as a snack to warm everyone up. Warming them up on the inside
allows them to stay outside longer.
Once everyone is back inside,
put wet mittens and shoes over heating vents or near a fireplace
or wood stove to dry. |
