This year too, it’s getting colder day by day, and you can feel the footsteps of winter just around the corner.
Last winter was extremely wintery throughout Japan due to the La Niña phenomenon!
Both eastern and western Japan were hit with large amounts of snow.
Snow is a very special play tool that children can only encounter during a limited time of the year.
So, it would be a waste if you hide inside the house just because it’s cold!
This time we will introduce 10 very fun and unique activities you can do during the snowy winter!
On days when it snows, why not invite your family and friends and have fun playing in the snow?
| # | Playing outside on a snowy day |
|---|---|
| 1 | freezing soap bubbles |
| 2 | Snacks made on the snow ~Snow Toffee~ |
| 3 | create art on the snow |
| Four | Making a snow fairy house |
| Five | glowing winter zoo |
| 6 | Snowflake comparison |
| 7 | float race on snow |
| 8 | colored ice treasure hunt |
| 9 | Fukuwarai ~Snowman ver.~ |
| Ten | make a snowy mountain erupt |
10 outdoor activities you can do with your kids during the snowy winter
1. Frozen soap bubbles
Soap bubbles can instantly make a cold day with temperatures below 0 degrees happy!
If you go outside with bubbles in hand, try blowing them!
When you blow a bubble and immediately catch it with a stick, the bubble will freeze on the tip of the stick.
When soap bubbles freeze properly, they become beautiful and sparkly, like a magical crystal ball!
I tried making the biggest soap bubbles,
I poked it with my finger and tried to break it,
Create your own soap bubble world by lining up lots of frozen soap bubbles on the snow.
Once you start playing, you’ll be hooked right away and the cold will be gone in no time!
How to make tips:
If the soap bubbles don’t freeze easily, cool the soap container outside a little before playing so that it doesn’t
freeze.The best time is on a day when there is no wind or in a place where there is no wind!
2. Snacks made on the snow ~Snow Toffee~
On snowy days, it’s really fun to be able to eat special snacks that are a little different than usual!
It is especially recommended to enjoy this on days when there is a lot of snow and there is pure white snow around your house.
Both adults and children are sure to enjoy the warm feeling of slipping into a picture book!
The recipe is easy!
① Boil 1 cup of maple syrup for 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
② Transfer the boiled maple syrup to a heat-resistant container and take it outside
. ③ Fill a large container with snow and pour the maple syrup in a line over it.
④ Once the toffee has hardened, peel it off with a popsicle stick or fork and enjoy!
3. Create art on the snow
The great thing about snow is that you can paint as much as you want on a pure white canvas using as many colors as you like without getting scolded.
It’s also very magical to see children’s colorful artwork painted on the white snow.
All you need is food coloring (or paint), cold water, and a few old plastic bottles.
Make a hole in the cap of the plastic bottle using a sharp object such as paulownia wood.
Fill each plastic bottle with different colored water, add a hole in the cap, and you’re ready to go!
From here, let the children freely sprinkle colored water on the snow and enjoy watching colorful flowers bloom on the white snow!
We recommend colors such as green, light blue, orange, and purple, as they look especially beautiful on the snow.
If you try using spray containers or sponges instead of plastic bottles, your imagination will be stimulated even more!
4. Making a snow fairy house
It’s Christmas time, right around the time when cute cookie and cake molds are coming out.
Since this is a great opportunity, why not try making a cute fairy house using this mold?
Fill a large round cake mold or snowflake mold with snow and remove the mold to create a super cute snow model in no time.
If you layer the cute snowflakes, you can create the most wonderful fairy house you can imagine!
If you want to make it more fashionable, add a little color with food coloring.
Santa, who comes to deliver presents, will definitely be overjoyed if he is greeted by such a wonderful snow decoration!
5. Glowing winter zoo
A classic game to play on snowy days is to make snowmen!…right?
Of course, snowmen are cute, but with snow you can make dragons, unicorns, and other magical creatures of your dreams come true!
I also tried making a surprisingly large rabbit,
The mysterious animals you meet in the world of your imagination can be created as you imagine!
Furthermore, if you embed a glowing stick (chemical light) that you can get at 100 yen shops etc. into the animal you made when it gets dark…
A fantastic glowing zoo that appears vaguely on a winter night will be completed!
Watching such a scene as a family while warming up with a cup of cocoa will be an unforgettable day for everyone.
6. Snowflake comparison
If you take a close look at snowflakes, you’ll see the wonderful patterns that will leave you mesmerized, right?
Moreover, no two snowflakes are the same!
You can only see these special snowflakes during the winter when there is snow throughout the year.
Since this is such a precious opportunity, why not make a day for parents and children to compare snowflakes?
When observing crystals, we recommend placing them on dark-colored clothing or cloth so that you can clearly see the detailed patterns.
If you want to see the crystals even more clearly, put the snowflakes on a dark cloth and put them in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then look at them through a magnifying glass.You can enjoy them for a longer time.
It’s also very nice to record the differences between each crystal in the sketch!
7. Floating ring race on snow
Do you think floats are only for summer fun? ?
That’s outrageous!
Floating rings can also be very useful when playing in the snow!
Tubing has replaced sledding in the United States and Canada as a popular way to play in the snow for both adults and children.
Place your butt in the middle of the donut-shaped ring and slide down the gentle slope using your legs!
Even if you don’t have a snow tube, it’s okay if you have a float!
Why not inflate the floats you have stored away and have a float race on the snow?
Slip, run, and your body and mind will be filled with joy!
8. Colored Ice Treasure Hunt
Treasure hunting can also be played with a twist when there is snow!
All you need is ice made from colored water.
The ice made with water mixed with red and blue coloring sparkles when exposed to light, making it look like a ruby or sapphire and make your heart dance!
Just bury this colored ice in various places in the snow to hide it and you’re ready to go!
Yoi don! Let’s all start the treasure hunt.
The winner may be the one who collects the most gems within the time limit.
The winner may be the one who collects the most colored gems.
Depending on how you make the ice and how you devise the rules, there are infinite ways to play!
Please invite the children in your neighborhood to join in the fun.
This is an outdoor play that everyone can enjoy at Christmas parties and winter birthday parties!
9.Fukuwarai – Snowman ver.
The next thing we’ll introduce is Fukuwarai with a twist, using snowmen!
First, make a sturdy snowman about the height of your child.
Once the snowman shape is complete, blindfold your child and have them spin around a few times in front of the snowman.
It’s the same procedure as when splitting watermelon!
The person sitting next to you should hand out items such as carrots, cookies, buttons, etc. to make the snowman’s face and clothes to the representative child, and help them complete the snowman’s face and clothes.
It’s also a good idea to deepen teamwork by giving instructions to those around you, such as “Move to the right!” or “Move it down!”
When you feel satisfied with the snowman’s beautiful face, take off the blindfold in 3-2-1!
Whether you burst out laughing at his unique face or gasp at how handsome he is is all up to you how you enjoy it!
10. Make the snowy mountain erupt!
The last special thing to do in the snow is snowy mountain eruption!
The snowy mountain will really erupt, so please wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty.
It’s a really fun game that includes a little science experiment.
Here’s how to play!
Things to prepare:
- A small, narrow-mouthed plastic cup (or an old pill bottle)
- baking soda
- dish detergent
- food coloring
- Vinegar
How to play:
① Make a small mountain with snow
② Bury a cup or medicine bottle in the middle and solidify the area around it with snow to form a volcano shape. At this time, make sure the mouth of the cup is exposed
③ Add 2 to 3 spoons of baking soda and 1 spoon of dishwashing detergent into the cup
④ Add food coloring to the inside of ③ In addition, prepare magma
⑤ Once everything is ready, add vinegar to the cup… Eruption!
Adding food coloring will turn the snowy mountains red after an eruption, so it’s best to do this on your own property if possible.
summary
This time, we will introduce 10 special activities that you can do on a snowy day!
From fun and delicious snacks to small science experiments, snow brings all kinds of fun.
As adults, when it snows, we immediately think about shoveling it, worry about whether we’ll be able to go to work, and tend to forget the excitement we felt when we saw snow as a child.
But snow is a winter gift that nature gives us.
Why not take this opportunity to relive your childhood with your children and play to your heart’s content?
Also, POH always welcomes your opinions, questions, and impressions!
“There are other ways to play in the snow!”
or
“There are some things you need to be careful about when playing in the snow!”
…Those who have such impressions.
Or if you’re having trouble figuring out how to play this game, please feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below!