After the excitement of the December holidays have passed, many children and adults find the rest of the winter to be long and trying. Break up the monotony of the middle of winter by focusing on having fun as a family. Spend time together on projects while waiting for the longer and warmer days of spring.
Enjoy the Winter Wonderland
Spend a few mid-winter afternoons playing outside in the elements. Bundle up well, and take extra gloves and hats along to replace snow gear as it gets wet. Build a snowman and have a snowball fight. Show the kids how to make a snow fort with snow "bricks." Use spray bottles filled with water and food coloring to make abstract art on the snow. Go sledding, snowboarding or ice skating.
Stay Cozy and Warm Indoors
If you are snowed in, or it is just too cold to venture out, spend time enjoying the warmth of your home with your family. Get out some board games and have a game-playing marathon. Spend an hour or two reading aloud from wintertime classics, such as "A Christmas Carol," or Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Long Winter." Work on crafts that feature snowmen, penguins, mittens or other winter-themed objects. Organize a box of photos into a scrapbook or teach your children how to knit or crochet.
Celebrate Mid-Winter Holidays
Teach your children about the history of the mid-winter holidays, including St. Valentine's Day, the Chinese New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Presidents' Day. Make crafts pertaining to these holidays and read books from the library. Deliver valentines to residents of a nursing home. Try to find a Chinese New Year festival or parade in your area. Participate in any local activities available that observe Black History Month, and read biographies about some of the presidents.
Cook Wintertime Foods Together
Involve the whole family in preparing special "wintertime" foods. Make a tradition out of making a big pot of soup on the weekends or enjoying hot chocolate and homemade cookies together. Bake homemade bread or roast a turkey in the oven to warm up the kitchen. Make a popcorn garland and hang it on a tree in your back yard to give birds a little mid-winter treat.
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