Snow Business

Let's face it. Winter is upon us, and with that comes snowy days. Are you or your kids in need of some fun ways to enjoy the snow besides building a snowman or sledding? Check out these fun ideas sure to excite anyone:

1. Feed nature - string items such as cranberries, popcorn, or dry cereal and adorn some trees/bushes in your yard to give passing wildlife a scrumptious snack.
2. Make "Snowcastles" - use cake pans or sand box toys to create some snow molds. Drizzle or spray food coloring when the molds are done for an added zing.
3. Hide-n-Seek - Pout water into ice tray slots. Add in each slot a small amount of food coloring. Freeze. Once frozen hide the ice cubes in the snow and see how many your child can find before they melt!
4. Target Practice - Using a spray bottle filled with colored water spray a target in the snow. Then take turns seeing who can launch a snowball and hit the target.
5. Build a Fort - Use sand castle toys to build the walls and colored water to decorate.
6. Resurrect Beach Toys - Pull out those summer floats and have fun sliding all over the yard in them.
7. Pin the ___ on the Snowman - Blindfold your kids and then have them try to pin the eyes, nose and/or mouth on the snowman. See who can be the most accurate or the most creative.
8. Move Those Hips- Have contests to see who can hula hoop the longest. It's not so easy when you are all bundled up!
9. Paint the Yard - Fill various spray bottles with water and a variety of different colors of food coloring. Let the yard be your canvas and "paint" away!
10. Examine Snow Close-up - Brink a dark cloth outside and let some flakes fall onto it (or sprinkle some already-fallen ones onto it). Use a magnifying glass to examine the differences in all the flakes.
11. Blow Bubbles - chill some bubble soap in the refrigerator. Then try to blow it away on a freezing cold day. You will be amazed at how long it takes the bubbles to pop.
12. Make an Ice Candle - Fill a large container with liquid. Float a tin can in the center, weighted with rocks, and set outside until liquid is frozen. Pour warm water into tin can to warm and loosen. Remove can and add candle into open hole. Light the candle and ooo and ahhh over the way the light shines through it.

For these and more ideas please visit parents.com. Ideas in this post come from the February 2005 issue of Parents magazine (article by Mary Mohler) and January 2007 issue of Parents magazine (article by Amanda Kingloff and Lauren DeBellis)