- My family relocated from Los Angeles to an isolated island in Alaska. We have enjoyed the change.
- Winter sunsets at 2 p.m. but that doesn’t stop us from having lots of fun.
- The cold winter months can be overcome by having the right clothing and an open mind.
Other people were also standing on the frozen lake and some were even skating. My 8-year old daughter asked me if I would let her step on the snow-topped ice. “Please,”She pleaded. “I’ll be careful.”I nodded, and she walked with me onto the solid-ice. This was the same spot that she’d paddled her raft in this summer’s summer with a group giggling buddies.
After a few minutes we made our way back to the shore, my daughter exhaled and grinning as she returned to her mother. It was about to set behind the mountains when the sun rose. It was now 2 p.m.
Winter can be long and dark for those who live in areas with more nights than days. Those summery days on the beach are a distant memory. So what are we to do? DoAll winter? This depends on the weather but you can have fun all year. My family moved from Los Angeles to Alaska. We wanted to be closer to nature and have less chaos than big cities.
The key to staying busy is to not let the weather dictate your activities
When snow is on the ground, we use sleds to plow the streets of our neighborhood. We build epic snow forts — which are roofless for easy access and an added measure of safety against collapse. Every riding toy is taken out into the snow. Then we see which one can move the most through the powder.
We head to the beach. You can find frozen eddies and build fires, as well as crackers and cheese. These activities can be made possible by the use of cold-weather gear, favorite snacks and a reliable dryer at home.
On nasty days — when rain falls on top of snow and the streets are sheets of ice — I reserve the right to stay inside.
We bake, play board games and let our children ride scooters or balance bikes in the living room. We chop vegetables and make big batches of soup. They are able to bandage stuffed animals and write prescriptions.
We grab a stack of library books, and we read to a topic: animal babies, picture-book biographies, holidays around the globe. While the children focus on a specific activity, like drawing or playing with Matchbox cars, we listen to an audiobook. It’s back to scooters and bikes when they want to be louder and more active.
I don’t care about the small children who knock into walls and ram each other with their cars. Because of the long winter, there will be days when they only exercise between four walls.
Toys that are open-ended are ideal for imaginative play
Both of my children have winter birthdays.
Although we can’t buy new toys every day they rotate them in and out so they don’t forget and are excited to see them again. When my kids are exhausted, I keep a box of toys nearby.
Sometimes, I need to be more of an instructor in winter. “And if you look to your left, you’ll see a toy kitchen. Perhaps someone would like to make me a plastic pancake?”They may also discover other interests that they are interested in, and they decide to pursue them all by themselves.
It can also mean that by springtime we will have plenty to show for our efforts. You can learn chords on the guitar or make small bowls with air-dry ceramic clay.
All we have to do is agree not let winter defeat us. All we have to do is allow ourselves the freedom to venture out onto frozen lakes. My son told me that he was leaving a doctor’s office not too long ago. “I’m so proud of me.”
When I turn the radiator off and take off my winter jackets, I feel the exact same way.