Blog With Gigi

This post contains affiliate links. Click here to learn more about my affiliate programs.

Winter fun at ski resorts, a great fit for all?

Most families like to go on a ski trip. Kids usually spend the morning in ski classes and the afternoon skiing with their parents or just playing in the snow. The whole family can enjoy what ski resorts have best to offer, and it’s usually a great time to make up new friends. But people who don’t ski or ride snowboards seldom go on a snow trip at all… and that’s a shame! There are actually plenty of other activities you can do on ski resorts that everybody can enjoy. So come on and let’s discover together what else you can do to have some great snow fun!

Snow activities you can enjoy at ski resorts

Here are a few activities you can find at or around most ski resorts:

Snowshoeing

Snowshoes are great fun. It’s a great excuse to bring your kids outdoor to enjoy the beauty of snow and get fresh air. The whole family can have a taste of the beautiful nature that way, as no prior experience or training is necessary. It is an easy activity for kids and can be both very calm and a great workout. If your family already enjoy hiking, you’ll find this new way of doing it amazing. Snowshoeing is for all levels and ages, as you can go for casual walks in parks, easy nature hikes or more strenuous outings. You can either rent snowshoes directly at the ski resort or a store such as REI. If you plan on making snowshoeing a habit, the best is to buy your very own on amazon (affiliate link) for example.

Ice Skating

A season’s favorite for many, ice skating can be done at indoor or outdoor locations at or near ski resorts. You can easily book family sessions to learn and have fun together with your kids.

Follow these few tips to make your ice skating session a good memory for all:

• Wear appropriate gears for your safety, such as elbow and knee pads and a helmet.
• Always skate on approved surfaces, and remember that ice rinks are the safest.
• If crowded, skate in the same direction and avoid skating across, just follow the crowd!
• Kids should not eat candies or chew gums while skating.

Sledding

Sledding has always been a winter favorite for me. Growing up with my siblings, we always had snow in winter, and going sledding with my friends and siblings was just a normal activity back then. We looked for small hills to slide down, or we just pulled each other around. As long as there was snow, we didn’t need to go anywhere special. It makes this activity so easy to enjoy. Later in life, I continued my winter habit with kids for their own enjoyment, and mine! On top of that, pulling happy kids around in the snow is an excellent workout for me that I can do almost anywhere, no hill required. All in all, it’s pure winter fun!

There are plenty of types of sleds, but I found the wooden ones way more reliable than the plastic ones. They last longer, kids can sit easily with an adult behind, they are more maneuverable and, yes, I had one of those when I was a kid. You can order a wooden one here. Or This one being another option (affiliate links).

Tubing

Snow tubes are round inflatable sleds made of a strong vinyl material that is usually very lightweight. The only thing is, you will need gravity pulling you down a slope while you ride on an inner tube. You cannot use it exactly like a regular sled then, as you must have some kind of hill or slope to really enjoy it, even if only a small one. However, and it’s a good thing, you don’t need to be an expert!

Fat Bike

Fat biking is a new kind of activity for older kids that ski resorts can also offer. It’s getting highly popular among kids that are used to mountain biking. The wheels are simply bigger and wider (usually 26″) to balance the weight better on the surface and increase the attack angle. It’s then easier to ride on soft terrain such as sand and, yes, snow! It sure worth a try.

Fun snow activities for little kids you can do anywhere

If little kids can do the previous activities I’ve just listed, the following ones are well suited for toddlers, and you can do them at home if you live in a snowy area too, no need to go on a ski trip or anything!

OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES WITH SNOW

Do you want to build a snowman?

Building up a snowman has always been quite a magical thing to do with kids of any age, but more so with little ones. Nothing can really replace the shiny spark in a kid’s eyes when he poses for a picture next to his new cold and snowy buddy. It sure is a memory to be treasured for a lifetime. In order to make the magic work, and create your very own Olaf (or Frosty, or whatever your kid decides to name it!), you need to have the right kind of snow. That is, a sticky one that you can agglomerate enough into a ball. Fresh and powdery snow isn’t “watery” enough to build one easily, and you can be off for a lot of troubles making a ball out of it. Be warned. Also, building a snowman can take a long time, don’t underestimate the time and effort big snowmen require. But you don’t have to build up a 7 foot snow giant to have fun either now, or do you?

Once you’ve shaped your snowman to your liking, bring it to life with some eyes, a nose and whatever feature you like! You can find ready made kits in stores to decorate your snowman (nose, buttons and all), but I like it best when using what nature gives us. Going on an adventure seeking your frosty’s eyes, nose, buttons and arms using sticks and stones you can rummage around is always fun to do with kids. On top of that, if the snowman isn’t in your backyard, it can keep whatever you find once you leave him behind to live his wild life. Anybody can then enjoy your creation!

Snow Angels

When the snow is fresh and powdery, it’s the best time to make snow angels. You’ve never done any? Well, it’s easy-peasy nice and easy! Lie down in fresh snow, legs and arms wide appart, then move your arms up and down and your legs from side to side. When you’ve done that a few times or you start being too cold, get up carefully enough so as not to step on your freshly made pattern, and voilà! You’ve made your very first snow angel! Repeat process for your second one…

Build up an igloo

Building shelters and houses has always been a favorite activity for kids. Even in winter, kids enjoy digging holes or building up snow castles. It is however sometimes quite an excruciating task to do and often turns out to be dangerous, as snow tends to be unstable and collapse easily. Should you abandon the idea altogether then? Well, not so fast…

I recently discovered this amazing invention by a French Canadian, founder of Play Snow, that makes building igloos easy, fun and way safer! Even if I’m not a real fan of plastic-made toys and products in general, this structure is durable enough so you can use it year round (cover it with snow, leaves or freshly mowed grass), and if your kids are growing too old to have fun with it, you can pass it on to another happy bunch of kids. So even if not that eco-friendly, the safety it brings to igloo-building fans out there is unparalleled.

Still not convinced? Have a look at this introduction video:

Visit an ice castle

You don’t feel like building up a snow structure yourself? Why don’t you go visit what professionals can do with ice and snow! Check out the nearest ice castle or ice sculpture exposition in your area, kids love it and the whole family can have a wonderful experience. It makes for an amazing family outing for sure! Check out this past blog about ice castle I recently posted for more information about it.

INDOORS ACTIVITIES WITH SNOW

Make snow taffies

Why not using some snow for a cooking session? Well, snow taffies are just that! Some good (and clean) snow, some maple or honey syrup, a stick to roll it into a delicious icy lollipop in 5 minutes or less… what more can you ask? Maybe a recipe…, so here are two delicious ones you might want to try, with a few tips to get the better out of your sweet treat:

So roll those taffies to the enjoyment of all your loved ones! It is great fun to do, and it is surely a better alternative to those lollipops sold in stores containing for the most part food colorings or other bad ingredients for your kids.

Fun with snow!

A fun activity to keep your kids busy is to just use snow as you would use sand or water! Get a big bucket, tray or even better, a sensory table if you have one. Fill it up with snow and some toys, shovels or kitchenwares, and you’re off to hours of fun making castles, creating stories and what not. Kids should wear gloves, whether they play outdoor or indoor, as snow can quickly burn their skin (if you bring snow indoor, make sure to put a good towel on the floor to avoid slippery areas and falls).

Other frosty fun ideas to do with your kids outside or inside:

• Observe snowflakes up-close with magnifying glasses
• Draw in the snow
• Snow painting
• Building tiny snowmen
• Make snow mazes
• Make roads and play with toy cars

Snow brings an almost endless amount of fun activities apart from skiing. So enjoy the season with your family and create those memories your kids will cherish forever!