Fun things to do in the snow

Activities: Fun things to do in the snow – From snow castles and japanese snowball fights to cheap sleds, igloos, snow fashion and taking winter snow art photos…

There is no need to be stuck inside just because temperature is well below zero and snow depth is more than half a metre. Curling up with a cup of tea and a good book is not to be scoffed at, but why waste all the opportunities of glorious white fun?

Dress up in your warmest clothes and run out to have adventures in winter wonderland!

Cheap plastic snow sleds

Going downhill on a sled or toboggan is simple and great thrills. Many people seem to quit doing this when they become adults, and I have no idea why. I know of no other way to get a speed and adrenaline kick quite so safely and easily. Of course, in order to go downhill you usually have to go uphill first, but for most of us wading through snow is well needed exercise after stuffing ourselves with Christmas chocolates. Plastic toboggans are quite cheap, but if you are totally skint a big plastic bag will do. If you happen to have a strong, well-trained dog (or a badly trained dog and high tolerance for pain) and a harness, you can also go for toboggan rides without any hills.

Igloos and snow castles

If there are sufficient amounts of snow, building igloos and snow castles is another fun activity from childhood that there is no reason to ever stop enjoying. You might not be able to build one on the scale of the snow castle hotel in Kemi, but if the conditions are right you’ll be amazed about what you can achieve. The snow castle can also be used as part of a huge, epic snowball fight.

Snowball fights

Snowball fights, or Yukigassen in Japanese, are actually a sport too. Annual tournaments are held in Sobetsu, Hokkaido in Japan, Kemijärvi in Finland, Vardø in Norway and Mt Buller in Australia. Did you know that yukigassen have official snowball fight rules?

Ice Skating and skiing

A note for UK dwellers: Now is the chance to get out the skis and skates to practice some winter sports. You guys are seldom noticeable in the Winter Olympics, but the world will never forget Eddie the Eagle. Don’t let his proud legacy down!

Also, on a irrepressibly shallow note, ice skating outfits are a super combination of genuinely warm and toasty AND unbelievably pretty.

Fun snow photos = Winter art

A more solitary activity is to grab your camera and go for a long trip to capture the frozen beauty of true winter. All the snow ensures that the light is sufficient for even the crappiest cheap automatic camera, and the multitude of pretty things makes it easy for even the most unskilled hobby photographer to get some truly amazing pictures. Even an ordinary boring road sign can become a piece of art after Jack Frost have worked his magic on it.

Snow fashion = Become a Snow Queen

The snow and the cold also offer a nice niche for alternative beauty. The long white dress that you never wear outside for fear of permanent staining is safe in the pure white snow, and eyes covered with glitter is suitable on the verge of being camouflage make-up when you walk regally among sparkling trees. For those of us who normally favour the darker side of beauty it’s refreshing to be able to go bananas with white, pastels and glitter without the risk of looking like a bimbo or a clown.

Or you can stay in your black finery and make a startlingly elegant silhouette against the dead white background.

Did I mention bringing the camera?