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Pandemic-proof winter activities



There are more opportunities for winter fun than you think

Pandemic proof winter activities


Although there’s light at the end of the Covid tunnel, with effective vaccines in the pipeline and a second relief bill on the way, it’s all in the distance, and quite a distance at that.

Standing between the end of the pandemic and us is a long winter, one in which families will be forced to be more housebound than ever. How to keep ourselves, and our loved ones, from going stir crazy? How to stay healthy and active?

Writing for Fatherly, Emily Kelleher has some refreshing optimism and offers quite a few helpful hints on how to have fun this season, despite it all. Although her suggestions feature rules and guidelines, she’s quick to stress: “Just remember that unstructured play is also really good for kids. These winter activities are great, but don’t be afraid to tell them to go play outside or let them get bored.”

READ MORE: Ways to Adventure At Home

Her list runs the gamut from regimented to wacky. Here are some activities I can personally vouch for:

Marshmallow Fun

Put a marshmallow in the microwave and watch it quadruple in size. It’s amazing, and, once it cools off you can still eat it.

Gooey Maple Syrup  

Make maple syrup snow candy. It’s easy: boil down some maple syrup and pour it onto snow to cool and harden. It’s delicious.

Best Book Read

Read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. A perennial favorite from my childhood, and my now-twenty-two-year-old son’s.

Snow Trek

Take a walk through the snow, stepping in the footsteps of the person in front of you. See if you can get it to look like only one person was there. This can be a lot more fun than it sounds.

Track the Light

Observe the return of light and the lengthening of days by having kids log what time the sun sets each night. Even if they do it once a week they’ll be able to see how much time is gained.

I recommend this the most, in part because I recently realized a startling number of adults don’t actually understand that winter is the time of lengthening days. Even in the Hudson Valley, which is more rural than most regions. Impress upon a child what’s actually happening in the world around them – and beyond them – and they’ll always know.



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