Don’t leave exploring the outdoors off of your to-do list this winter. Soak up the precious sunlight by going outside and engaging in winter play with the family. We have lots of ideas to get you outside and enjoying the brisk winter weather, even without the snow!
Grab your hat and mittens, and spend some time outdoors today!
- Feed the Birds—There are so many DIY birdfeeder options! Go traditional with pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed, string popcorn, or make a birdfeeder mobile!
- Photo Scavenger Hunt—Something tall, Find them here!, a tree with leaves, a blue square—use a camera to capture things on your scavenger list! Take pictures of the winter landscapes in your silliest pose to remember the day.
- Make Animal Tracks—See this cool tutorial on how to make your own animal tracks! Be a beastly bear, a curious kitten, or a racing rabbit.
- Obstacle Course at the Park—Cardboard boxes, brooms, buckets, and other household items help turn the field into an obstacle course! Jumping jacks, slides, and Hula hooping stations will add fitness to your kids’ play. Use park playground structures to add to the fun!
- Binoculars—Spot birds, peek through the trees, or explore a new park. Count how many different types of birds you find, or how many squirrels are running up trees.
- Horseshoes and Lawn Games—We have horseshoe pits at Centennial and Douglass Park. Don’t have horseshoes or are you exploring a different park? Tupperware lids and laundry baskets make an excellent alternative! Romp through the Disc Golf greens at Dodds Park. Find more lawn games here!
- Cardboard sledding—No snow? No worries! Use a cardboard box to slide down one of our hills at Centennial, Douglass, Morrissey, Sunset Ridge, or Toalson Park.
- Outdoor Pizza Kitchen—Get “cooking” outside! Gather items like sticks, grass, and acorns to come up with creative pizza topping and other culinary creations. Make prizes for most colorful, most nutritious, and most unique pizza.
- Nature Crowns—The park is your kingdom, and who can rule a kingdom without the proper headgear? Fashion crowns out of the local materials, and even get some Frozen inspiration!
Looking for more ideas and inspiration? Check out our CPD Pinterest Board!
