Backyard Winter "Olympics"

The Winter Olympics are coming up in February, as most people are aware. It's a great time to focus on the efforts that the athletes put in to their sports both as teams and as individuals.  

With that same thing in mind, why not create your own Backyard Olympics? Get the kids off the couch and outside in the snow with these great winter games and activities.

1. Tow The Line

Put two teams (they don't have to be huge) together for a slip-sliding variation of Tug-O-War! Tamp down a wide, shallow trench in the snow to serve as the middle line.  Then, take up positions at the ends of a long rope and let the tugging begin!  Whichever team pulls the entire opposing group over to its side of the trench wins!

2. The Hat Trick

Build a nice, plump snowman in the yard and then make a game out of adding his head gear. Take turns trying to land a hat on his head by throwing it Frisbee style.  

3. You're On A Roll

Have players pair up for a contest to roll the biggest snowball possible.  The contest ends and the judging begins when the teams can no longer roll their snowball or they run out of snow. 

4. Zoo Sculptures

Create a wintertime zoo out of snow.  Have each team decide on what animal they want to make.  Things like turtles, otters or penguins are great choices.  You can even add color by mixing food coloring with some water and putting it into a spray bottle.  

5. Last (Snow) Man Standing

Each team builds five small snowmen and lines them up.  Then , team members stand about 10 feet away and take turns throwing snowballs at the snowmen the goal being to knock them down.  The first team with all of their snowmen knocked over wins. 

In a day and age where it seems like kids have forgotten how to play without some sort of device in their hands or in front of their faces, this is a great way to get them out into the fresh air.  So, unplug for a day and play together as a family-OUTDOORS!