Winter Family Fun

Jamie Kaun

‘Although I’m a native Ohioan, I’ve been living in the south for most of the last 10 years. A cold day in the winter is 50-60 degrees and that doesn’t happen often.

I am not be looking forward to really cold days and lots of snow, my three children sure are! They want to be outside as much as possible and take advantage of their new environment.

There are many fun ways for families to be active outdoors in the winter.

• Snow – get out and play in it! Be sure to wear appropriate and warm outerwear and build a snowman, have a snowball fight, go sledding, shovel it (great way to raise your heart rate!), draw shapes or write words in the snow – there are so many possibilities!    
• Go on a hike – check out Dayton.com for their list of 12 great hikes and Dayton Parent for their suggestions.
• Take a family bike ride – Grab your helmets and ride! It’s a great way to stay warm while it’s cold out. Ride around your neighborhood, check out the 340 miles of paved trails in the Miami Valley or the bikeways around Dayton. The Loveland Bike Trails and Lebanon Bike Trails are close too!
• Create a nature book – Take pictures of trees, birds, etc. Have your child write down in a notebook what they observe. Collect leaves, twigs and other items they can glue into their notebook. Print the pictures and add them to the book.
• Painted rocks – Go on a rock hunt! Gather rocks of all shapes and sizes. Bring them indoors, paint them, add googly eyes, feathers, buttons, etc. to create pet rocks.
• Take a drive – If you’re feeling adventurous, take a short trip to the Cincinnati area to check out their wintery fun!

And for those days where the weather is just too inclement to be outdoors, here are some ideas for indoor fun.

• Visit your YMCA branch, of course! Indoor swimming, playing in the climbing areas, basketball and so much more is available at the Y. If you’re  interested in team sports, see what the Y currently offers here. 
• Indoor walking – take some laps around a mall or visit an attraction that requires lots of walking, like the Air Force Museum.    
• Visit your local public library – it’s free and most have children’s programs.
• Educational family fun – visit a museum such as the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and the Dayton Art Institute. Adventure a little further with Dayton Parent’s list of children’s museums worth the drive.

For even more indoor activity suggestions, visit Dayton.com or the Dayton City Moms Blog.

And on those days when it’s tough to get your crew moving or you would just rather stay at home, bonding with your children by snuggling up and watching a movie or playing board games is classic family fun – perfect no matter what the weather.