5 Winter-Wonderland Activities for You and Your Baby
The weather outside isn’t frightful: It’s more of a sparkly, snowy, Frozen-esque wonderland. Now that you’ve stocked up on winter survival tips for parents and refreshed your own cold-weather- and activity-friendly wardrobe, you’re all about exploring outdoor fun as a family. We know your newborn isn’t exactly ready to strap on the skis and hit the slopes. Don’t worry: There are still plenty of ways that your brood can enjoy this flake-filled season before they get old enough that you need to start worrying about snow day activities.
1. Snow You: Baby can’t roll their own mega snowball to start a family of snow people. But they can hang with you and your S.O. as the three of you make yourselves into frozen sculptures. Make one snow person for each family member, letting your baby touch some of the shimmery white stuff in the process. Go beyond a simple scarf and accessorize your snow people with style (think a sweet shawl, baby’s receiving blanket or your honey’s fancy fedora).
2. Super Sleigh: If a magical horse-drawn carriage (a la Cinderella) isn’t in your baby’s immediate future, make your own. DIY a Disney-worthy mommy- or daddy-drawn sleigh! Dress up a regular ol’ plastic sled with a regal-looking velvet or faux-fur blanket and anything else your creative mind can think up. Toss on an antler headband (the kind you might force Fido to wear for those oh-so-adorable Christmas pics), tie a rope to the sled and pull away. Your partner or a friend can hold baby tight for a snowy backyard tour.
3. The Icy Indoors: Sometimes it’s way too cold to go out. Just the thought of the layers (oh, the layers) that your little one would have to wear sends chills down your entire body that are entirely unrelated to the thermometer. So bring the snowy fun indoors! Use the cotton-batting-style faux snow that malls dress their Santa centers in to create a mock outdoor scene (or just use fluffy white towels). Pretend you’re all outdoors: Throw imaginary snowballs, make snow angels (or at least the motion) or bring in a tiny tub of the real deal and let baby feel the cold stuff from the comfort of your cozy family room.
4. Dazzle Decor Style: Someday your teeny little baby will be a preschooler, and they’ll have big-kid fun traipsing through the snow to search high and low for all kinds of nature-made bits and baubles. But for now, they probably couldn’t care less about a pinecone, a stick in the snow or a random feather that fell into your wintry yard. The nature scavenger hunt is on hold — at least for a few years. Instead, dazzle their budding sense of sight with your holiday lights by dressing up the stark winterscape with a rainbow of twinkling LEDs. After you’ve gotten your exterior decorator on, take the kiddo outside for a look at the awesome light display that you’ve made: They’ll be completely captivated.
5. Igloo Awesomeness: Grandma is over for the day. So send her outside to build you an igloo! Just joking. Ask her to watch that sweet little baby of yours while you and your honey head out for some adult igloo-building time. After you’ve had your own snowy fun (and built a fort), bundle baby up and take them into the wonderful winter weather for a tour of your awesome ice palace… or at least a set of solid walls to duck behind while lobbing snowballs.
What’s your fave winter wonderland activity? Share your ideas with us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
