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Yesterday I shared our family’s spur-of-the-moment snow day trip. Today, I want to share with you things I’ve learned over the years to make a fun and successful snow day, particularly with kids!
Playing in the snow can be tons of fun and very exciting, especially for those of us who don’t live in it day in and day out. Anyone with kids knows that without proper preparation, their well-intended day of fun can easily turn into a cry fest. We’ve learned a few tips over the years on how to minimize the whining and maximize the fun!
Here are a few helpful tips on how to help make your day in the snow more easygoing and comfortable so that you can focus on the important things: having fun and making memories!
Tip#1: Layers! Because we don’t visit the snow often, we haven’t invested in a ton of snow gear. Wearing jeans alone will make for a cold day of complaining, so layer up! I always put warm leggings or even pajama pants underneath my kid’s pants. Long sleeved shirts, sweaters and jackets are great for layering on top. If you have the budget, invest in snow pants and thermals. I always have thermals on hand; they are good even for wet, rainy days! The fleece lined are the best; they keep you SO warm!
Tip #2: Bring a full change of clothes, down to socks, underwear and shoes. After your day of play is over, you will have a complete set of dry clothes waiting for everyone! Make sure to bring a plastic bag for the wet clothes! You can bring a grocery bag or get yourself a reusable wet bag. Wet bags are great for more than just snowy-wet clothes; you can use them for the gym, water play time in the summer and even dirty diapers. They are awesome!
Tip #3: Pack a thermos of hot chocolate! If you don’t have one, get yourself a high quality thermos that will keep soup and/or hot chocolate hot for hours. We used a big one for hot chocolate (which we made beforehand) and we have smaller thermoses that we use daily for the kid’s lunches. Thermoses are a great investment!! And what a great way to warm up a cold body in the middle of play time. We also love insulated hot chocolate cups with lids. They keep your hot chocolate warmer for longer and we don’t have to worry about kids spilling.
Tip #4: Do yourself a favor and buy reusable hand warmers! This is probably my favorite tip of the day; we only discovered these during this last snow trip. Our friends brought these with them and they were great to have on hand! As the temperature was dropping in the later afternoon, my daughter was getting pretty chilly. Between the hot chocolate and the hand warmers, she was able to stay warm. These hand warmers are awesome; there is an activating button that you click in the middle which activates the heat. They stay warm for about 30-40 minutes. They are small enough that you can stick them in your gloves or even in your shoes! After using them, you boil them to reset the charge and you can use them over and over. We will never take another snow trip without them!
Tip #5: Snow socks-they make all the difference!! I’m sure you probably all know that most of your body heat is lost through our head, hands and feet. The warmers definitely help with the hands and feet, but thick socks, made for low temperatures, will make all the difference! Make sure you also have good quality gloves, not just the cheap cotton gloves in the Target dollar bin (those will be soaked in no time).
Tip #6: This tip comes from my husband, who highly recommends having a separate pair of work gloves to keep in case of needing to put chains on your tires. You can’t get a good grip with snow gloves; they are way too bulky and could get caught if you aren’t careful, and your fingers will be frozen without something protecting them from their cold. You need a tough pair that is made for the job and won’t tear. He got this inexpensive pair of work gloves and keeps them in the car for all occasions that he might need them (changing a spare tire, other roadside emergencies, and he always uses them for our RV trips!)
Now you’ve heard my essential tips for a perfect snow day-let’s hear yours! What tips do you have for a successful day of snow play in the snow?
