Here are 5 tips that all parents need to keep in mind this winter as you are getting your kids out to play in the snow.  These tips will help your family have fun this winter!

We have spent a lot of time figuring out how to have fun in winter raising our children in the Rocky Mountains.  It has taken a lot of trial and error for us to learn how to get outside with our kids and take advantage of the great snow.  Of course, it is not always easy and the hardest step seems to be just getting out of the door.  Here are some helpful winter parenting tips based on our experiences to help other families have fun in the snow.

Winter Parenting Tips #1 – Get Active With Your Kids!

There are lots of fun outdoor activities parents and kids can participate in during winter.  Get outside and play in the snow rather than sit around in the house wishing it was warmer.  The snow is so fun to play in!

Here are 7 winter activities with kids, such as sledding, ice skating, skiing, snow shoeing, and just playing in the snow or building a snowman.

Winter Parenting Tips #2 – Keep Your Expectations Appropriate

One of my winter parenting tips for parents is that you need to keep your expectations appropriate.  Your kids may not have the same lofty goals of ambitions that you have when you go out sledding, skiing, or snowshoeing.  In the beginning and for younger kids the goal should really be just to get out in the snow.

Don’t expect your kids to ski for very long when they are just beginning.  I remember many of those early days skiing when we would get in two or three runs on the bunny slopes.  It is all worth it though, as now that they are 8 and 10 we can go skiing all day together.

Sledding is fun as long as everyone wants to stay at it.

Winter Parenting Tips #3 – Plan Your Time Based on Kids Age And Desires

Keep in mind that young kids simply can’t spend as much time out in the cold as older kids or adults. As such you need to plan your time accordingly.  As a parent you know your own kids and probably have a good sense of how much time they want to spend out in the snow.  Don’t force them to stay out longer than they want to just because you are not ready to stop yet.

Winter Parenting Tips #4 – Wrap Up The Day With Some Hot Chocolate

The next and most important of my winter parenting tips is simple – hot chocolate!

Nothing completes a fun family day in the snow as a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate.  Our kids love to go play in the snow or go skiing and then return home or to the lodge for some hot chocolate.  Remember, it is all about making the day/outing fun so that everyone has good memories and will want to do it again.

Winter Parenting Tips #5 – Be Ready And Prepared

During winter I like to keep a number of things in my car at all times, just so that I am ready for fun.  These are different than what I keep in my car during summer.  Read more about winter’s must keep items in your car.  Some of them include sleds, changes of clothes and extra shoes.