(NAPSI)—Even when the days become shorter and the nights become cooler, there is still time for fun. Creating some special traditions specific to each season can be a great way to spend time with loved ones. Activities and games inspired by the idea of the transformation that winter may bring can lead to hours of entertainment and can encourage curiosity about how and why the seasons change.

Here are some ideas for fun activities that parents can help organize for their kids and their friends or participate in together as a family adventure.

Outside Activities—In The Snow

Snow art: Put a few drops of food coloring into spray-top water bottles and use snow as the canvas for your children to make works of art.

Headless snowman: Help your kids build and decorate a headless snowman. Take the camera outside and capture silly photos of the kids as they substitute their own heads for the snowman’s.

Snow picnic: Picnics aren’t just for summer. Warm up in the chilly weather with hot beverages and cozy snacks to enjoy outdoors.

Outside Activities—Without Snow

Frosty: Have a team competition to create a human Frosty the Snowman. One player is “Frosty” while the rest of the teammates use toilet paper, colored construction paper, hats, mittens and other items to dress Frosty up. Prizes can be given to the team that creates the fastest Frosty, the most unusual Frosty or the silliest Frosty.

Snowball toss: Place a hula hoop on the ground as the target for the kids to aim for. Divide into teams and race against the clock (one minute) to see which team can get the most “snow balls”—crumpled up tissue paper—into the hoop.

Winter clothes relay: Bundle up for cold weather in this obstacle relay race. Place a pile of clothes in front of each team’s obstacle course starting line. On “Go!” the first player quickly puts on the clothes and races through the course, returning to the starting line. The player then takes off the winter clothes and hands them to the next teammate, continuing until each bundled-up teammate has completed the course. The team that finishes first is the winner.

Indoor Activities

Movie night: Spend a night indoors and enjoy a fun family movie that is both an entertaining and learning experience. A brand-new animated film from Disney can be a great way to inspire kids to explore the delights of snow and to delve into their curious minds. Starring Tinker Bell and available on Blu-ray™ and DVD, “Secret of the Wings” introduces Tinker Bell to a winter fairyland where a new world of adventure unfolds. For more information, visit www.disney.com/SecretoftheWings.

Winter-themed bingo and Pictionary: Create unique bingo cards on the computer with winter word or image squares (for example, blizzard, scarf, ice, snowflake) or check online for free winter-themed bingo cards available for downloading. Kids can play solo or in teams to be the first to complete a full line on a card and call out “Bingo!” To continue the theme, split the kids into teams, write down winter-related words on pieces of paper to be tossed in a bowl and play Winter Pictionary.

Snow globes: Break out the arts and crafts supplies and decorate the house with handmade snow globes. All you need are small jars with snug lids, plastic animals and trees or polymer clay to make your own figures, hot glue, a couple drops of glycerin or baby oil and lots of glitter. Follow the simple directions at www.spoonful.com to bring sparkle and warmth indoors.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)