Snow Play

We have a lot of snow.  It is still early in the winter but we had such a warm fall followed by several heavy snowfalls so the snow built up quite quickly.  It has been a big adjustment for some but the children and I are enjoying our outdoor play time.

As I watch the children play I keep busy by ‘sculpting’ the yard – clearing snow from the walkways and creating low and high spots in the play areas.  I try to enhance their play activities by moving more snow to the areas where they like to climb and dig and moving snow away from areas that could become cozy shelters for imaginary animals or hiding spots for a game of hide and seek. 

My plan also involves some indirect guidance — if I don’t want the children to play in an area I don’t pile snow there.  Children gravitate to snow hills – no amount of ‘stay away from the parking lot/intersection’ commands are going to be effective if that is where the snow plough operator put all the best snow.
As I had hoped (but didn’t tell the children to) they have begun using chunks of snow to build up the area around the tepee.

  

I’ve added snow around our garden hill to increase its size and moved snow away from the entrance and exit of the tunnel.  This creates a great place for rolling and burrowing.

The children have been busy digging in the deep snow on the deck.  They’ve worked together to create a narrow hole that reaches all the way to the ground.  They take turns looking in the hole and experimenting with sound by have one child yell into the hole while the others try to understand the muffled message.

 

 

Outside in the snow the children rarely complain about being bored or cold.  My chubby indoor cats however have abandoned their perch on the windowsill in favour of the spot in front of the heat vent.