Playing in the Snow Without Bundling Up

At the time that I’m writing this post, there’s been approximately one snow at my house – and it wasn’t Snow-1anything to get excited about. The kids loved going out in it for an afternoon, and by the next day it was gone. That said, I don’t think Kansas City has seen the end of winter! Next time we get a huge dumping of the soggy, beautiful white stuff that sticks around long past beautiful and the soggy gets on your nerves, here are a few ideas to let your kids play in the snow without the bundling.

Snow Ice Cream
We tried this for the first time last winter, and my 4 year old is still talking about it. There are many recipes on the good ol’ Pinterest – and most use ingredients you have on hand, as well as some good clean snow.

The one we used and is pictured is:

1 c milk

1/2 c sugar

1 t vanilla

Mix together and pour over a large bowl (7-9c) of snow and mix.

Serve immediately.

Set the scene
Place some snow on a cookie sheet, and give your little ones some cars, trucks, plastic animals, little people, etc. and let them make their own snowy fun!

Water Colors
Get out your kids paints and again – give them a cookie sheet or cake pan full of snow and see what they come up with. I usually try to have my kids create a picture of a specific thing first, and then have them end with mixing colors and making abstract art. I learned the hard way the first time that without that little bit of direction, they quickly had a pile of brown snow and were done much sooner than I had counted on! Your methods may vary, of course!

Investigate
Bring in a bowl or dish of snow for each child – let them explore with warm water, ice cubes, and cold water and see how each changes the snow. They can use drips (from a saturated paper towel), droppers, spritz bottles or measuring spoons to explore with water.

Bring a lot inside
I know, this sounds kind of awful – but it isn’t! When you’re expecting a big snow, repurpose your summertime kiddy pool or a large Tupperware tote and place it outside to “catch” the snow as it comes down. When it’s full, bring it in and put it on top of some towels topped with a waterproof layer (you can use a tarp, or my personal favorite, a felt-backed vinyl tablecloth). Kitchen utensils or sand toys and you’ve bought yourself hours of fun for your kiddos! It takes longer to melt than you would think – and when it starts getting slushy, dump it back outside.

While my kids still love to get outside at least for a bit every day (and I love for them to!) these are some good alternatives for when that’s just not an option. What are some of your favorite snow day activities, with or without snow?! I know I’m always looking for options.

Katie
Katie is the mama to four little loves ages 4 and under through adoption and birth. While not native to the Kansas City area, she and her husband have called this beautiful place home since they moved here immediately after they married six years ago. A short stint living in Florida only confirmed what they knew - Kansas City is the place to be! When she's not wiping bottoms, getting or giving hugs, playing chase, buckling car seats, reading to many small ears, or hiding in the pantry with a piece of chocolate and a moment on Instagram, she can be found researching anything dealing with transracial adoption, postpartum wellness, and homeschooling. She blogs over at The Ballard Abode and loves connecting with other mamas. You can also find her on Instagram at @katieballard.