Sharing the Outdoors in Winter Part 2: Cold Weather Activities

After dressing appropriately for our Alberta Winter climate (see Part 1 of our blog on Sharing the Outdoors in Winter: Cold Weather Wear) go outside and play!  At Kamp Kiwanis, located in the foothills just west of Calgary, Alberta, we’re fortunate to have 140 acres of forest space to play in all winter long, but you can find natural spaces in your neighborhood too: your yard and local parks.  Visit our blog Use the Break from School to Reconnect with Nature  which includes some places to visit in and around the Calgary area.

At Kamp Kiwanis we want kids to develop a relationship with the natural world. In addition to Summer Camp Programs, we offer various Outdoor School Programs spanning all grades throughout the course of the school year. All of our programs focus on sharing the outdoor experience with students. We pride ourselves on providing magical learning experiences that are carefully crafted to meet the unique needs of each specific school. During normal operations, we offer both overnight and day programs. We strive for our programs to increase students' capacity in the areas of environmental literacy, awareness and action, while encouraging outdoor recreational activities.  For more on our Outdoor School Programs visit https://www.kampkiwanis.ca/school-programs

Here are over 50 ways to share the winter outdoors with kids.  Click on the links for additional information and resources.  We’ve tried to share local information where possible.

Playing GaGa ball at Kamp Kiwanis

Outdoor Activities

Sledding down “K-1” at Kamp Kiwanis

Snowshoeing at Kamp Kiwanis

• Alpine skiing/snowboarding

• Backyard Winter Olympics

• Dogsledding

• Camouflage

• Capture the Flag - with larger groups in winter

• Curling - 2 Minute Guide to the Sport of Curling

• Fat biking

• Gaga Ball - we have 2 pits at Kamp Kiwanis

• Ice fishing

• Ice hockey/shinny (informal hockey play/“pick-up” hockey/”street hockey”)

• Ice skating

• Nordic skiing (cross-country skiing)

• Shovelling snow (make it fun with snow pile competitions or races or be a “snow angel” and shovel your neighbours’ walks and driveways)

• Sledding/Tubing

• Snowball fight (be sure to set rules first to reduce injuries and maximize fun)

• Snowball target practice

• Snow golf/disc golf - set up a little course in your backyard or park or disc golf course

• Snow maze

• Snowshoeing

• Snow soccer

• Tag/frozen tag

• Winter festivals (in non-pandemic times)

• Winter obstacle course 

• Winter walk/hike

Winter campfire at The Kiwano-Ring (K-Ring) at Kamp Kiwanis

Journalling at Kamp Kiwanis

Winter Learning/Play Ideas

Snow Painting

Studying trees at Kamp Kiwanis

• Animal track hunt - be a winter wildlife detective!

• Bat houses

• Catch snowflakes

• Campfire - roast your favourites & sing campfire songs visit our Kamp Kiwanis YouTube Channel for some song ideas

• Evergreen tea

• Ice jewel dig

• Journey sticks - a memento of your winter adventures

• Maple taffy

• Outdoor journaling/sketching - find a cozy nature spot and journal/sketch - here’s some ideas to get you started: Winter writing prompts, more winter writing prompts 

• Outdoor story time - find a cozy nature spot and read a winter story

• Owl Walk - go for an evening walk in a natural area and try listening for owls 

• Sidewalk Chalk - when there isn’t snow on the pavement you can write kindness messages and make colourful drawings

• Snow angels

• Snow forts/Quinzees or Build a shelter

• Snow kitchen

• Snowmen/Snow sculptures

• Snow painting

• Snow volcanoes

• Snowy beach - bring out the sandbox toys to play in the snow

• Star-gazing/Northern light watching - try to spot different winter constellations and maybe even howl at the moon!

• Throw rocks into a frozen pond and see if you can crack the ice - be sure to stay safe around bodies of water in winter and review ice safety

• Tic-Tac-Toe in the snow - use sticks to draw x’s & o’s

• Tree Identification - search for different evergreen trees - Alberta Guide

• Winter bird feeders: Build your own https://happyhooligans.ca/32-homemade-bird-feeders/ or purchase one to hang up https://happydiyhome.com/best-bird-feeder/ - either way you can enjoy the hobby of birdwatching from your own home.

• Winter bird watching - Identifying birds

• Winter photography - you can create a list of winter things to capture photos of and put them into a slideshow to share

• Winter picnic/tea party

• Winter scavenger hunt

• Winter Yoga and More winter Yoga - you can even try these poses outside

• Yeti tracks - cut out some big yeti footprints out of cardboard and tie to boots to make tracks in the snow -- they won’t last long but it will be fun!

• More Fun Indoor and Outdoor Winter Activities You Can Do at Home

Things to Do When It Is Freezing Out

Frozen ice blocks made with food colouring and water

• Blow ice bubbles (Best at -20C or colder)

• Coloured Ice Blocks

• Ice candles (remember to not leave burning unattended or use faux tea lights)

• Ice ornaments

Enjoy the joys of winter!