Pinehurst Hill

They might complain about the cold sometimes, but taking your kids outside and having fun in winter can actually be pretty beneficial to their well-being. According to loads of officials* around the country, they’re more likely to grow up an environmental steward with physical and emotional well-being.

Step 1: Lead The Way

The whole process starts with leading by example. If a parent / guardian / relative / friend / whatever shows them winter is fun, they’ll buy it. If they prefer video games on the couch, so will the kid(s).

Step 2: Dress The Part

Make sure while your kids are outside, they’re warm and dry, so they don’t freeze to death. That’s no fun at all.

Step 3: Have Fun With It

Kids love using their imaginations and making the ordinary extraordinary. So even if what you have in mind is a walk to the park, if you think up a cool name and game, it’s no longer boring – it’s awesome. For example, call it a “Nature Extravaganza” and look for animal tracks or different birds and squirrels.

Step 4: Pick The Right Activity

The best activities are those that can be done on an individual basis as well as a group, can be easily made into games, and are easily adaptable. For ages 4 and up, try exploring, hiking, snowshoeing, ice skating, and cross-country skiing. By the time they’re 5 or 6, they can handle things like snowboarding, downhill skiing, and shootaround hockey.

Step 5: Take Breaks

Some kids get frustrated because they don’t have the same mobility with these clothes and the slippery surface of snow/ice. Plus they’re cold and thirsty. This is the time to provide encouragement, take a break, and rejuvenate their spirits.

Step 6: Rinse & Repeat

If this whole process is done right, and they’re having fun, you won’t need to coax them into going outdoors. Hopefully they’ll engage friends and tackle winter on their own. They’ll build forts, make sculptures, and have snowball fights. And, after time, they’ll come to appreciate their natural surroundings, be more physically fit, and have better emotional development.

* Such as Mike Logsdon, executive director of the Adventure Sports Institute in Maryland; David Gallahue, dean of Indiana University’s School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; and Andy Miller, director of kids programs at the Sun Mountain Lodge (Cascade Mountains, Washington).