I will never forget last winter as I walked outside with my daughter, wondering if it was really worth it to drag ourselves outside for some “fun time” in this weather. As I stepped outside my front door, I was immediately smacked by a whipping wind and some bone-chilling sleet. We had received some snow over the days prior - which was delightful. But today, we were jumping into a blustery winter storm. I tried to open my eyes and look up. Barely able to see, I was pelted by the sleet flying sideways.
I contemplated retreating to the warmth of my home. But before I could fully entertain that thought, my daughter exclaimed, “Wow, this is perfect weather.” Her sincerity nearly made me burst out laughing. I can tolerate sleet, but I will be the first to admit that I would not include it on my short list of “Perfect Weather” days. With effort, I simply smiled and nodded, realizing that her resilience and optimism reflected some ambitious parenting.
Be the Winter Role Model
Her joyful attitude stemmed from the way my husband and I raised her with the belief that there is no “bad weather,” only “bad gear”—with a few extreme exceptions, of course. We’ve lived by this mantra in our northern climate, embracing the snow, hail, sleet, and rain each winter. After all, if we waited for perfect weather, we would be indoors for well over half the year. So we suit up and venture out, no matter the weather. More on gear later…
Joy is Contagious
To be a family that embraces the winter season, you must build habits for the long haul. I will not strong-arm my children into outdoor “forced fun,” but I certainly will influence them to find wonder and joy in outdoor play and exploration during every season. And this all starts with a good invitation. Not all invitations sound inviting. Some so-called invitations will take the fun right out of an activity. Our words and tone will undoubtedly impact our kids' enthusiasm. Work on shaping invitations that draw kids into excitement rather than what feels like a chore.
A joy-killing invitation:
You need to get outside.
Joy-filled invitations:
Want to see if we can build a snow fort?
Want to hike through that winter wonderland with our snowshoes?
Want to find a giant hill to go snow-tubing down?
Setting the stage for enjoying the outdoors starts in the home with the language we use. How you speak about gearing up and getting out will set the mood for the activity.
When it comes to getting on winter gear, I know firsthand the struggles of putting on ALL THE LAYERS
- searching for the missing gloves, wondering where some warm boot socks are hiding, and how we lost the beanies again. If the overwhelming feeling of suiting up little kids feels like a lot, you are not alone! But if your kids see you lose your cool every time they get dressed for cold weather, they will likely lose the wonder and joy of going out. They may start to associate snow adventures with stress and “too much.” Create a practical, easy-to-follow, organized system for the kids to store their gear. This will eliminate some of the headaches of gearing up.
If your kids are little like mine, make it a fun game. Have them show you how “fast” they can get ready. My kids always love a good race. And what makes it even better is good music to set the mood. Just like a soundtrack can make a movie, so my kids always have more fun when we play upbeat music during monotonous tasks. Make gearing up into a fun dance as you have some oldies playing in the background. My favorite is the Raised on Motown playlist on Spotify. It’s always hard to have a lousy attitude when listening to “You Can’t Hurry Love.”
I’ve heard it said that “more is caught than taught.” And this is so true when it comes to setting the mood for an activity with our kids. Having fun in front of your kids will go much further than telling them to have fun. Lead by example.
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
One of the joys of getting my kids outside in winter is how a spark of curiosity and creativity can set their imaginations ablaze!
A dash of food dye in water and a few paintbrushes transforms the blanket of snow into a canvas to paint on.
A simple invitation for a snow picnic, with cookies and hot chocolate, ignites an entire game of “snow kitchen.”
By getting down close to the snowflakes and inviting my little ones to join, we discover the uniqueness of each snowflake.
Trying to find animal tracks in the snow on a snowshoeing adventure will encourage them to keep hiking.
With just a few moments of intentional creative inspiration, my children dive into hours of exploration, even in the coldest weather.
Comfortable Kids Adventure Longer
It is no secret that a warm kid will stay outside longer than a cold kid. Suiting your kiddos up in the proper gear is essential to having a good time outdoors, especially if you are going on an adventure further from home. Proper layering is the key to warm and happy kids.
Start with a moisture-wicking base layer.
Avoid cotton that retains moisture and can cause your little one to remain cold, wet, and miserable.
Add a fleece or wool layer.
Then opt for waterproof above water resistant. I prefer waterproof to ensure my kids stay dry. The longer they stay dry and warm, the longer they will continue to play outdoors.
Know When to Call It
One of the agreements my husband and I made early on in our adventures in parenting was to go slow enough that our kids had a fighting chance of falling in love with outdoor adventures. We made a pact to exercise discernment for when our kids need a little push to grow in their ability to do hard things and when to call it quits. Our goal is for our kids to know that their “I’m done” has weight and value. Our kids need to be able to speak up and feel heard when something is beyond them; but you better believe we will cheer them on to push their limits so they grow their mental grit and endurance when the moment calls for it!
Our goal is simple: if our kids can finish a kid-sized epic adventure and say it was worth it, then we are on track to foster that love for the outdoors that we hope they have for a lifetime.
Sizing down our adventures outdoors to “kid-sized” has required sacrifice and patience—but it is worth it to cultivate our little tribe of adventurers. At times, it has meant turning around before reaching the summit on our snowshoe excursion, spending our ski day on the bunny hill, foregoing an epic 24-mile mountain hike for an easy 3-mile one, or cutting a sled adventure short for cold kiddos. I would rather my kids look back and trust that I will take care of their needs than remember our adventures outdoors as “mandatory misery."
I am confident that these deposits of fond memories will return with interest in their teen and adult years when we can tackle even grander adventures. Until then, you can find me on the green ski slope, snowshoeing a short 2 miles, pulling some kids on sleds behind my ATV, or making snow forts. These memories are the foundation of a lifelong lover of the outdoors.
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