We finally have some beautiful snow, and there are so many great things to do outside in it! The trick is to stay comfortable by dressing in lots of layers for warmth. Once dressed, hop on a pair of skis, some snowshoes, or skates. Go ice fishing, snowmobiling or how about building a few snow people, snow angels, or a snow fort? Or how about enjoying a kids’ favorite…sledding!
All you need is a sled and some kind of hill. Hopefully, every family has at least one sled in the garage or basement, and one hill that is not too far away. If you don’t have a sled, the plastic ones are fairly inexpensive. You may also be able to pick one up at a garage sale or a second-hand store.
To get even more excited about sledding, add decorating your sled to the “to do” list of activities for a dark and chilly evening, or an especially stormy day.
Turn your sled into an art masterpiece by decorating it with colored tape. First, raid the junk drawer or look in any other spots where there might be some colored tape. Duct tape, electrical tape, or packing tape all work well. If you can, buy a roll or two of different colors to add to the collection.
Once you know what colors and widths of tape you have to work with, it is a good idea to draw out and plan a design before you start cutting and taping. Cutting the tape can sometimes be tricky and you don’t want to have to take the tape off once it has been applied. It can leave a sticky mark or not stick as well the second time you apply it. One other trick, make sure your sled is warm and dry before you decorate it. If it is wet or cold, the tape will sometimes not stick as well.
Happy sledding!
Kelly Dupre of Grand Marais is an artist, children’s author, and educator with over 20 years teaching experience with all age groups in a variety of settings. The activities in this oncea month column are spin-offs and combinations of ideas she has used and learned from teachers, parents, kids, books, and workshops. Only some of the activities has she actually thought of herself! Do you have a project or an idea you would like to see on the Whirligigs page? Let us know! Send your suggestion to starnews@boreal.org.
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