{"id":7713,"date":"2014-02-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/5-winter-activities-that-bring-out-the-kid-in-all-of-us\/"},"modified":"2014-02-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T00:00:00","slug":"5-winter-activities-that-bring-out-the-kid-in-all-of-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/5-winter-activities-that-bring-out-the-kid-in-all-of-us\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Winter Activities That Bring Out the Kid in All of Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I have always loved the wintertime, especially growing up in Central New Jersey. I can still remember sitting at our kitchen table with the radio on full blast, listening to the long list of school closings being announced in the hopes of being one of the lucky ones to be able to declare, \u201cYES, we have a snow day!\u201d<\/p>\n

Things haven\u2019t changed very much now that I\u2019m raising kids of my own, except we now receive our school closing via a text message. And I still love to play outside in the snow \u2013 in fact, here is a list of my family\u2019s favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors during the winter:<\/p>\n

Take a winter photo walk<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love taking my camera along on family hikes, especially this time of year. The peaceful tones cast by wintertime hues of soft whites and grays make everything look so much more sparkly and bright.\u00a0 If you have older kids, pass the camera (gently) and have them take a photo of something that begins with a specific letter to help encourage them to be a little more aware of their surroundings.<\/p>\n

Sledding, it\u2019s not just for kids<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no better thrill than racing down a snowy hill on a crisp winter day; except perhaps for the thought of a thermos filled with hot chocolate and a nutritious snack waiting for you, when you get to the bottom.<\/p>\n

Snowball fun<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snowball fights are fun, but they can also get out of hand (trust me, I have teens, I know) and getting whacked with a slushy ball can be downright painful. Set up a couple of empty coffee cans, empty plastic bottles, maybe a even a flower pot (or twenty) and play a painless round of snowball toss.\u00a0 Choose smaller containers and then move them a few feet, after each toss, to make it even more challenging.<\/p>\n

Build a snowman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Building a snowman can get the heart rate up and give your kids something to work on together as a team. Throw in a couple of snow angels and you\u2019ve got another way to spend a fun winter day outdoors.<\/p>\n

If snow is not your thing, find your energy balance bliss indoors<\/strong><\/p>\n

For those days when it\u2019s just too gosh-darned cold to do anything outside, try a local indoor skating rink or head to your community recreation center!<\/p>\n

As a parent of teens and an ambassador for the Together CountsTM<\/sup><\/a> program, I believe keeping active with my kids is more than just an opportunity to be physically healthy: I have learned to treasure these moments of togetherness and well-being, with each passing season.<\/p>\n

How about you? What are some of your favorite wintertime activities?<\/p>\n

For more winter activity inspiration, check out these Together Counts\u2019 resources:<\/p>\n