5 Fun Ideas to Get Your Kids Outside & Active in Fredericton This Winter
It's no secret that keeping kids active and entertained during the long winter months can be a challenge.
But don't worry, we've got you covered. Here are five fun ideas to get your kids outdoors and moving this winter. Get ready for some family fun!
Winter Nature Trails & Ice Caves
If you and your family enjoy hiking scenic trails in the warmer months, don’t let the snow and colder temperatures stop you from exploring during the winter. Some trails are even more picturesque in the glistening white snow! A great way to winterize your hike is with snowshoes, they make trudging through the fluffy snow a little easier. To stay warm, bundle up, pack a thermos of your kids’ favorite hot drink, and even have a campfire break in the woods. This will be a memorable experience for the whole family. Beyond exploring the trails in your backyard or neighborhood, make a day trip to the beautiful ice caves in New Brunswick. The Devil’s Oven Ice Caves and the Midland Ice Caves Trail are both famous for their spectacular hanging icicles. This is a sight you only get to see in the winter that your whole family will surely be impressed by!
Build a Snowman or Snow Fort
When all you’ve got to work with is several feet of snow and your bare hands, what’s better to do than build a snowman or a snow fort? This is the best activity to do after a fresh snowstorm! Not only is this amusing, but it’s also a time-consuming activity that you and your kids can have fun with for hours. A fun challenge for your kids is to make a replica snowman for each of your family members or friends. If you really want to make it an extra special activity, spray paint and food coloring can add life to your snow creations. Up the stakes and make a competition out of this with your neighbors.
Skiing & Snowboarding
If you can count on spending several winters in our cold, snowy climate, getting your kids into skiing or snowboarding is a great outdoor activity they can look forward to each season. Skiing and snowboarding are so fun that your kids won’t believe it when you say it’s time to go home. Not to mention, it’s great exercise and an easy way for you and your family to meet new, like-minded friends on the ski hill. Crabbe Mountain offers Snow School, a program for ski and snowboarding beginners. This is a great way to get your kids to learn the right techniques and helps build confidence on the hill. Wostawea is another great cross-country ski community in Fredericton that offers lessons, tours, clinics, and more. Fresh air and fresh pow await you and your family!
Skating
It doesn’t take long for our lakes, rivers, and ponds to freeze over once our temperatures drop far below zero. When this happens, you know it’s time to pull the skates out! In Fredericton, there are a number of indoor and outdoor rinks for public skating, including the brand new skating loop at Carleton Park. Office Square and Killarney Lake are also known for being fun and family-friendly. Whether you play pond hockey with a group, brush up on your figure skating technique, or simply want to do laps on the ice, skating is an entertaining activity that will get your kids outdoors, taking in winter’s beauty and fresh air. Click here for a full list of Fredericton’s indoor and outdoor skating. Pack a thermos of warm hot chocolate and hit the ice!
Sliding
Sliding is one of the simplest, and best winter pastimes that is sure to bring out your inner child. All you need to do is scope out a sliding hill, find a sled, and you will easily get carried away with hours of fun. There are tons of sliding hills across Fredericton, some of the biggest and most popular are at Crosspoint Church, the Experimental Farm, Nashwaaksis Middle School, and Peterson Rock. If you’ve got some time and you’re up for a challenge, build your own sliding hill in your backyard! Regardless, you’re bound for hours of fun.
Winter is a great time to get outside and have some fun with your family.
These five activities are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things you can do together this winter. Bundle up, get active, and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones!