by JoAnn Powell

Created on: November 23, 2009

Snow is cool. There's nothing like a good snow fall to make all the brown winter landscape come to life again. And snow can be fun. So bundle up and let's play with snow.

1. Have a snow ball fight. Just scoop up some snow into a ball and throw it. If you've got another person around it is almost guaranteed you'll get one thrown back at you, and the fight is on, chasing and laughing all the way.

2. Go sled riding. While sledding down hill is great, there's not always a hill close by to use. Don't despair. Tie a rope onto the sled and pull it around the yard on the snow. You can have almost as much fun, and it is safer than careening at high speed down a hill. Remind the passengers to hold on to the handles so they don't flip off.

3. Write in the snow. Get out last summer's super soakers and fill them with colored water made with water and food coloring, a small amount of tempra paint, or colored gelatin. Aim and shoot. Use the big white canvas of the snow to leave messages for your friends and family.

4. Make a snow man. Roll snow balls of graduating sizes and stack them on top of each other to form the snowman. Have a contest and let each person build their own snowman and then create their own decorations. Use a wig or yarn for hair, hats, jackets, even netting to create a tutu. What could be more fun than a ballerina snowman?

5. Make a snow fort or igloo. Pack snow tightly in a metal bread pan or plastic shoe box to form the "bricks". Remove from the forms and stack together to make walls, as low or as high as your amount of snow available allows. After the construction is complete, gently spraying it with water will help preserve it long after the initial snowfall is gone.

6. Practice your eye/hand co-ordination. Set up plastic milk bottles on the fence or a bench. Throw snowballs at these targets, moving farther away as your skills increase. This will give you an early start for spring baseball practice and improve your throwing skills.

7. Make snow angels. Lie down on your back in the snow. Move your arms up and down and your legs back and forth, leaving the imprint in the snow. Stand back and admire the different shapes and sizes created by each person.

8. Bring the snow inside for the little ones to enjoy. Fill a plastic bin or play tub with snow and bring it inside for the younger children to play and experiment with. Provide gloves or mittens to keep hands warm and supervision to help keep the snow in the container. When the snow is melted away, just dump it out and refill for more play.

9. Have a parade. The only rule is that each person has to step into the footprint of the person ahead of them, leaving only one set of prints. Make the parade snake around the yard, around in circles and cross over itself to keep it interesting.

Snow can be much fun. Take care to keep as dry and warm as possible, and enjoy!

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