Jonathon Engels, a long-time vegetarian turned vegan, is currently on a trip from Guatemala to... Jonathon Engels, a long-time vegetarian turned vegan, is currently on a trip from Guatemala to Patagonia, volunteering on organic farms all the way down. In Costa Rica, he officially gave up cheese after actually milking a goat, only to discover—happy life or not—the goat kind of hated it. He blogs—Jonathon Engels: A Life Abroad—about his experiences and maintains a website—The NGO List—benefitting grassroots NGOs and international volunteers. Read more about Jonathon Engels Read More
As a child, one of the best parts about winter— aside from hot chocolate and holiday vacation— is snow. Making snow angels, having snowball fights, and sledding down the neighborhood hill are all wonderful. Snow days off from school are even better!
By a mile, snow is more magical than any other form of precipitation! It’s like a natural toy. It makes the whole world look different. It brings about a huge collection of new sports and activities. Who ever heard of a thunderstorm or morning dew doing that?
Then, for some mysterious reason, adults become less enchanted with the snow, worrying about adult things. The roads are slippery. The sidewalks will be a mess when it melts. The tree branches are breaking. The driveway needs clearing. Blah, blah blah.
Sometimes, it’s best to put that adulting aside and join in on the games. And, here are some fantastically fun things to do with snow, no matter what age you may be.
In the summertime, beach art— using found objects to make works of art on the sand— is a perfect way to chill and get creative. In the winter, snow art can work the same way. It’s a great time to use fallen branches, pine cones, food coloring, and whatever else to make temporary flourishes of inventiveness to share.
Candy and snow sound like a smile-inducing combination. Even better is using snow to make candy! With nothing more than a pot, some maple syrup, and fresh snow, it’s possible to cook up a delicious taffy-like candy. Boil the maple syrup in the pot, and then pour it directly onto the snow. It’ll quickly become taffy-like and delicious.
Sand is highly regarded for making castles and molding all sorts of wonderful shapes. Snow works even better! For those who have a bit of castle building left in them, why not go out into the yard and build an awesome snowscape for the neighbors to enjoy with you? It might inspire others to get out a play with the snow, too.
For adults and children, snowflakes are amazing. Those intricate patterns of ice crystals are said to be no two alike which means we could spend a lifetime looking at them all. It’s a lot of fun. Either take a piece of black construction paper or a pane of glass and freeze it. Then, when it is snowing, go outside and catch snowflakes on it.
A lovely crackling fire is awesome on a chilly winter’s eve, and when snow is in the mix, it can be all the more entertaining. Build that fire atop a pile of snow of snow, and it’ll sink as it burns. Just be sure to put it somewhere safe where it won’t sink and burn anything important.
Contrary to popular belief, igloos are not made out of ice but rather sculpted blocks of snow, a la adobe bricks from clay. For those in a place with lots of snow around, it can be a fun project to build an igloo. Even cooler (or warmer), snow is a wonderful insulator, so it’ll be warmer inside the igloo than outside.
For those with really deep snow and consistently cold temperatures, it can be a cool activity to dig a snow cave. Snow caves can be an emergency shelter for folks who are stranded outdoors in the snow. Like an igloo, it’s much warmer inside an insulated snow cave than it is outside. Only it’s much faster to make. All that’s necessary is a snow shovel and a bit of elbow grease.
Snow people are the classic snow activity. To make a bit more adult fun, those snow people can be suggestive of favorite celebrities, reminiscent of family members, or dressed in funny outfits. It can be an altogether different experience than making the traditional snowman.
When the proposition of consuming something comes into play, it’s first and foremost important to ensure it’s safe. Eating snow in areas where water isn’t safe to drink or air Pollution is detrimental to human health probably isn’t a good idea. However, making snow cones with some homemade fruit syrup can be a lot of fun.
Snowballs are fun to make, but snowball fights can get a bit questionable quickly. Instead of going that route with the snowballs, a less aggressive activity could be making Potato Head Snowballs and laughing together.
Getting a good snow isn’t something to be down about. It’s an opportunity to let loose, get outside for a bit, and play, however old or young we may be.
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