Frugal winter activities with young kids?

[rothwem]

I'm not going to call it a New Year's Resolution, but something I'd really like to do this winter is find a way to enjoy it rather than sit inside and watch screens/cry when not watching screens.  Our weather here is weird--we don't get a ton of snow, but most winter nights are in the low 20s and highs are usually in the mid 30s and its not a whole ton of fun to do our normal biking and sand box playing outside. 

We went snow tubing at a mountain resort that's ~45 minutes away and it was a blast, but it was close to $200 for the day after food and lift passes.  We obviously can pack lunches which would save ~$50 or so, but its still not an activity we can do every weekend.  When we were there, we saw a bunch of people snowboarding and my 5 year old thought it was awesome and wanted to do it, but when we look into prices, they're completely bananas--$80 for a 4 hour lift ticket per person, $150 per lesson on top of that, not including rental equipment.  A season pass is $800 per person, so no real bargain with buying one of them.  Bottom line, snow sports are not really on the "frugal" list. 

So what do you guys do with your kids during winter?

[charis]

First point, downhill skiing/snowboarding is not cheap.  However, it can be done cheaply if that's something you would like to pursue.  Buy secondhand gear and/or source from other families that ski (expect helmets, which should be purchased new).  Ski resorts frequently have discount days, evening passes, junior lift tickets, lift ticket packs, etc.  Some states offer programs that provide free or low cost lessons and lift tickets for beginners and young skiers.  A park near us with a small skiing area offers inexpensive lessons and tickets for local residents. 

For other options, our city and towns have several options for low-cost ice-skating rinks and beginner skating lessons and recreational hockey clubs.  Sledding is an obvious frugal choice, with the benefit of being able to try different locations and can incorporate short hikes.  Cross county skiing can be done very cheaply and it's probably safer for young kids.  Snowshoeing is another option.

[FLBiker]

We moved from Florida to Nova Scotia when my daughter was 5.  She and I spend a lot of time outside, even when it's cold.  Here are some of our favorite things to do:

1. Sledding - This might not be great since you don't have a lot of snow, but when you do have snow sledding is great fun.  We spent a little money on sleds and snowpants, but it's free after that.
2. Hiking - I love hiking in snow, but it's also fun when there isn't snow. Undergrowth is cleared, so some of the trails by us that are impassable in the summer open up. Insects are non-existent. On really cold days, we like to go down to the creek in the ravine behind our house and find ice to smash. If the trails are icy, we use yaktrax (or similar).
3. Ice Skating - We have an free outdoor rink (weather dependent) hosted by the Lion's club and an indoor rink in town that has free and low-cost sessions a few times a week. Our daughter also does a low cost "skate club" that is quasi-lessons led by some women on the college hockey team.  Lots of folks around here do hockey, which seems expensive. I like skating, but it's tough on my ankles so I usually just watch.
4. Snowshoeing - We've only done this a few times, but it was pretty fun.

I totally agree with you about biking. I love biking, and do a fair share of winter biking, but I wouldn't call it fun, nor would I try to sell my daughter on it. :)

[Villanelle]

See if your local library has a season pass to check out for ski or tubing access. 

[HPstache]

We really enjoy visiting public pools with slides, diving boards, play areas, etc during the winter time.  As a bonus, I love knowing that my kids are capable swimmers and visiting pools frequently has naturally made them proficient without professional instruction.

[Freedomin5]

My kid loved the following activities when she was a preschooler. She's 10 now, and she still loves the following outdoor activities...

- Sledding
- Skating (not necessarily with skates; she likes just slipping and sliding around on the ice)
- Winter hikes, with or without snow
- Playing at the playground

And also the following indoor activities...
- Going to the library
- Going to a paint-your-own-pottery place
- Reading books
- Baking cookies
- Playing board games
- Making puzzles
- Swimming
- Indoor playgrounds
- Indoor trampoline park

[Cranky]

We really enjoy visiting public pools with slides, diving boards, play areas, etc during the winter time.  As a bonus, I love knowing that my kids are capable swimmers and visiting pools frequently has naturally made them proficient without professional instruction.

The public pools here are all outside and close on Labor Day! But if you have a good Y with plenty of kid activities that can be a good winter activity. The one here is pretty dinky but the one we belonged to in Ohio was awesome.

[rothwem]

I should have mentioned my kids ages, I meant to in the OP and got sidetracked.  My daughter is almost 3 (February birthday) and my son is 5. 

We moved from Florida to Nova Scotia when my daughter was 5.  She and I spend a lot of time outside, even when it's cold.  Here are some of our favorite things to do:

1. Sledding - This might not be great since you don't have a lot of snow, but when you do have snow sledding is great fun.  We spent a little money on sleds and snowpants, but it's free after that.
2. Hiking - I love hiking in snow, but it's also fun when there isn't snow. Undergrowth is cleared, so some of the trails by us that are impassable in the summer open up. Insects are non-existent. On really cold days, we like to go down to the creek in the ravine behind our house and find ice to smash. If the trails are icy, we use yaktrax (or similar).
3. Ice Skating - We have an free outdoor rink (weather dependent) hosted by the Lion's club and an indoor rink in town that has free and low-cost sessions a few times a week. Our daughter also does a low cost "skate club" that is quasi-lessons led by some women on the college hockey team.  Lots of folks around here do hockey, which seems expensive. I like skating, but it's tough on my ankles so I usually just watch.
4. Snowshoeing - We've only done this a few times, but it was pretty fun.

I totally agree with you about biking. I love biking, and do a fair share of winter biking, but I wouldn't call it fun, nor would I try to sell my daughter on it. :)

So my son is just now approaching the age where hiking is fun for him, but my daughter is in an awkward stage where she's too big for the backpack carrier but doesn't really have the endurance to hike more than a quarter mile or so.  This past summer, we got half a mile into a hike and my daughter decided she was done and I had to carry her back to the car on my shoulders and wait for my wife and son to finish up the 1.5 mile loop. 

We don't really get enough snow for sledding and snowshoeing, we typically get one "real" snow per year where its more than a dusting and its gone within a day or two. 

Ice skating is a good idea though, my kids might enjoy that.  I'm not sure about my daughter, but I have heard of little ones ice skating. 

As for biking--I actually don't mind riding in the cold as long as its not too windy, a lot of that is related to the fact that I've been cycling forever and have really nice gear for the cold.  They just don't seem to make good kids warm clothing.  The gloves that I have give pretty good dexterity and are comfortable to ~20F or so, my kids have the option of knit gloves that give enough dexterity to grab a handlebar but are only good to ~50F or so, or mittens that really are useless for anything that's not riding a sled. 

See if your local library has a season pass to check out for ski or tubing access.

Wat?! This is a thing?  I'll have to check that out. 

We really enjoy visiting public pools with slides, diving boards, play areas, etc during the winter time.  As a bonus, I love knowing that my kids are capable swimmers and visiting pools frequently has naturally made them proficient without professional instruction.

This is not a bad idea.  We have a YMCA nearby with an indoor pool.  My kids aren't super confident swimmers yet, but maybe this is the chance to work on it.  I never really thought about swimming when its cold out, but if its inside, why not?

My kid loved the following activities when she was a preschooler. She's 10 now, and she still loves the following outdoor activities...

- Sledding
- Skating (not necessarily with skates; she likes just slipping and sliding around on the ice)
- Winter hikes, with or without snow
- Playing at the playground

And also the following indoor activities...
- Going to the library
- Going to a paint-your-own-pottery place
- Reading books
- Baking cookies
- Playing board games
- Making puzzles
- Swimming
- Indoor playgrounds
- Indoor trampoline park

Hmm, good list there.  Our indoor playgrounds and trampoline are not super cheap--the indoor playground is 15/kid and the trampoline place is $25/kid, but I guess that's cheaper than skiing and doesn't require specialized gear.  The sedentary activities are not really ideal for my kids--it seems to really tax them emotionally when we do stuff that doesn't involve heavy physical activity, they end up exhausted and bickering if I don't get them running around for a good part of the day. 

[Morning Glory]

Have you tried a toddler carrier for your daughter? I have one that's a bigger version of the ergo (lower center of gravity than the frame carriers) and was able to carry my youngest on long hikes until he was almost 5 and about 45 lbs. We gradually made him walk longer distances before he could go in it.

I like ice skating but it didn't work with my kids at those ages. You could look into lessons if they are willing to try but can't pick it up right away.

Annual passes to museums and aquariums are usually pretty cheap (less than 2-3x the daily rate), and many have a free day for local people once a month.

My kids are happy to do normal stuff like playing at the playground in all weather. 

[rothwem]

Have you tried a toddler carrier for your daughter? I have one that's a bigger version of the ergo (lower center of gravity than the frame carriers) and was able to carry my youngest on long hikes until he was almost 5 and about 45 lbs. We gradually made him walk longer distances before he could go in it.

Hm, we had an ergobaby that she outgrew and then we got a Kelty backpack.  She's still within the weight limit for the backpack, but she's just not comfortable in it.  Part of the issue is that she's really big and tall for her age, she's 38" tall and close to 40 pounds, maybe I need to mess with the straps a bit on it though. 

[Villanelle]

See if your local library has a season pass to check out for ski or tubing access.

Wat?! This is a thing?  I'll have to check that out. 



It may or may not be a thing at your local library.  (Check multiple branches, if you have access.)  Just as with their book collections, it varies by branch, system, and budget.  Some libraries have wonderful collections of passes like this, along with other non-book things like unusually shaped cake pans or small equipment.  My sister checked out a ukelele from her library!

[GuitarStv]

We've always done lots of outdoor activities.  Typically there's a one time cost of gear and after that it's basically free.  Hiking, cross country skiing, skating , tobogganing, building snowmen and snow forts.  Other than that you've got your traditional indoor activities - reading, playing board games, movie night, games, playing music.

[E.T.]

How young are they? We have a toddler and have been leaning heavily into arts and crafts and lots of time at the local library. Sometimes we go to the mall on the weekends and he will literally run laps around it. We don't go to buy anything, it's just a big indoor space for him to explore. I recently found a gym that had memberships for me and the kiddo for $40 a month and that's been a fun outlet too. We've spent time on the basketball and racquetball courts, throwing balls and running around. We've also used their family swim times to burn some energy. We don't have a nearby YMCA but that would probably be similar. You said your indoor playgrounds / trampoline parks are pricey per visit. Did you check if they have memberships? Ours are around $30 for a month even though the normal day price is $10 so it's a pretty good deal. I'd second the museum suggestions too. Your local library might have passes for those.

My kiddo likes to go outside for about 15 minutes before he's very done with the cold, so we have to be creative with indoor stuff. He's definitely my son. XD

[Kmp2]

If it gets cold enough to freeze water overnight, you can make some fun coloured ice blocks to build with, my favourite is making candle holders using balloons partially filled with water and then frozen.

Otherwise we do a lot with snow: sledding, skating, snow building, snowshoeing, x-skiing - but I'd start that when they are older ~7-9). At the moment my boys spend ~ 1-1 1/2 hours outside sledding on this tiny hill in their school yard after school every day, there's even a few of us out there at -20C! But they are 6 & 8 now.

Here are some other activities  that don't require snow, include frisbee golf, wiener roasts and hot chocolate around a fire pit, hiking, biking, scavenger hunts, stargazing/meteor watching/northern lights (it gets dark early here in the winter so the littlest ones can enjoy it too).   

[merula]

As for biking--I actually don't mind riding in the cold as long as its not too windy, a lot of that is related to the fact that I've been cycling forever and have really nice gear for the cold.  They just don't seem to make good kids warm clothing.  The gloves that I have give pretty good dexterity and are comfortable to ~20F or so, my kids have the option of knit gloves that give enough dexterity to grab a handlebar but are only good to ~50F or so, or mittens that really are useless for anything that's not riding a sled. 

I think this might be where the core of the issue is. They do make good kids' warm clothing, but it makes sense to me that there wouldn't be as much selection where you are as in Minnesota where I am. Your "dead of winter" temps are our November, March and April, and we don't typically have a ton of snow then either, but my kids do most of their same summer outdoor activities (biking, rollerskating, soccer, tag, etc.), just in different clothes.

Here's what I'd suggest looking for:
-Fleece-lined leggings or windpants or flannel-lined jeans (I would say this is one of the most important parts; if you're just wearing a coat and the same pants you wear when it's 60F, half your body is going to be cold)
-Crew socks or taller
-Non-knit gloves (I buy several of these every year at Costco bc my kids lose them, and their hands are warm until it's below 0F. https://www.costco.com/head-kids%E2%80%99-touchscreen-gloves.product.100675104.html, https://www.amazon.com/HEAD-Touchscreen-Gloves-Black-Medium/dp/B0CS4TCTHB)
-Mittens will be warmer than gloves of the same material, because your fingers keep each other warm, so I love biking with mittens, but you need thin ones to not mess with the dexterity and a lot of kids' mittens have a lot of padding. I have a fleece mitten pattern I sew that are similar to this: https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1171496004.html)
-Hat that fully covers the ears
-Neck gaiter if they don't like to fully zip their jacket (these are very easy to sew/knit if you do that, and are easier to play in than scarves)

Also, layers! Don't just wear a tshirt and a coat, wear a hoodie too. If you can't find lined pants (those might just be a frozen north thing), layer leggings/sweatpants under jeans or wear two pairs of leggings/sweatpants.

[GuitarStv]

Temperatures aren't a big deal for cold weather cycling for me . . . it's the NEED to clean all the road salt off of components (and then the acceptance that your stuff is going to be badly corroded anyway in a couple years) every ride that drags me down.  :P

[rothwem]

If it gets cold enough to freeze water overnight, you can make some fun coloured ice blocks to build with, my favourite is making candle holders using balloons partially filled with water and then frozen.

This is a cool idea! I wonder if my kids would want to build an igloo or something. 

Temperatures aren't a big deal for cold weather cycling for me . . . it's the NEED to clean all the road salt off of components (and then the acceptance that your stuff is going to be badly corroded anyway in a couple years) every ride that drags me down.  :P

Hm, yeah, we don't get a whole ton of road salt unless there's a storm predicted, then they lay it on THICK.  I've been riding offroad a bunch in the cold though, the mud is frozen so it makes less of a mess and I'm going slower so the windchill isn't as bad as on the road.  My winter cycling boots are SPDs too, so it just makes sense. 

As for biking--I actually don't mind riding in the cold as long as its not too windy, a lot of that is related to the fact that I've been cycling forever and have really nice gear for the cold.  They just don't seem to make good kids warm clothing.  The gloves that I have give pretty good dexterity and are comfortable to ~20F or so, my kids have the option of knit gloves that give enough dexterity to grab a handlebar but are only good to ~50F or so, or mittens that really are useless for anything that's not riding a sled. 

I think this might be where the core of the issue is. They do make good kids' warm clothing, but it makes sense to me that there wouldn't be as much selection where you are as in Minnesota where I am. Your "dead of winter" temps are our November, March and April, and we don't typically have a ton of snow then either, but my kids do most of their same summer outdoor activities (biking, rollerskating, soccer, tag, etc.), just in different clothes.

Here's what I'd suggest looking for:
-Fleece-lined leggings or windpants or flannel-lined jeans (I would say this is one of the most important parts; if you're just wearing a coat and the same pants you wear when it's 60F, half your body is going to be cold)
-Crew socks or taller
-Non-knit gloves (I buy several of these every year at Costco bc my kids lose them, and their hands are warm until it's below 0F. https://www.costco.com/head-kids%E2%80%99-touchscreen-gloves.product.100675104.html, https://www.amazon.com/HEAD-Touchscreen-Gloves-Black-Medium/dp/B0CS4TCTHB)
-Mittens will be warmer than gloves of the same material, because your fingers keep each other warm, so I love biking with mittens, but you need thin ones to not mess with the dexterity and a lot of kids' mittens have a lot of padding. I have a fleece mitten pattern I sew that are similar to this: https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1171496004.html)
-Hat that fully covers the ears
-Neck gaiter if they don't like to fully zip their jacket (these are very easy to sew/knit if you do that, and are easier to play in than scarves)

Also, layers! Don't just wear a tshirt and a coat, wear a hoodie too. If you can't find lined pants (those might just be a frozen north thing), layer leggings/sweatpants under jeans or wear two pairs of leggings/sweatpants.

Hm, good list there.  We've got just about everything on that list except for the good gloves, I'll look into those though.  We're not costco member since there's not one close by but there's got to be something similar around. 

As for layers...layers on a precariously potty-trained not quite 3 year old are a pain in the dick.  I know that from a performance standpoint, layers work best but jeez its so much easier to just have a yuge coat that you slap on them over a t-shirt, or have them put snow bibs on over a set of underpants. 

[MaggieD]

For mittens, my kid has a pair of Reimas, and they’re great.  Most of the kids in their outdoor preschool class wear 1-piece snowsuits, and especially if you have a way to leave Good Warm and Waterproof Boots on the snowsuiits it can be so fast to pop them into the boots, arms in, and zip up.  If the gear isn’t Actually Waterproof, a waterproof pants/bib on top can help.  Are there any activities like nature walks aroind?  There’s a bird watching one I heard about here.  Winter farmers markets?  An idea I got from a friend is to do “lantern walks” where they get to carry a flashlight when it’s dark on a walk.

[MaggieD]

Also, do you have indoor ways to burn off some energy at home?  Jumping on a play couch or trampoline?  Dance parties?  Obstacle courses?

[rothwem]

Also, do you have indoor ways to burn off some energy at home?  Jumping on a play couch or trampoline?  Dance parties?  Obstacle courses?

Hah, no, not really.  Our house is typical Mustachian tiny.  We've got a little mini trampoline, but it usually results in my kids fighting over it, one/both of them falling off and one/both of them crying. 

We did find a gymnastics place though, and signed them up.  $90/kid for 7 weeks, seems like a good day occupier and they fucking love it so far. 

For mittens, my kid has a pair of Reimas, and they’re great.  Most of the kids in their outdoor preschool class wear 1-piece snowsuits, and especially if you have a way to leave Good Warm and Waterproof Boots on the snowsuiits it can be so fast to pop them into the boots, arms in, and zip up.  If the gear isn’t Actually Waterproof, a waterproof pants/bib on top can help.  Are there any activities like nature walks aroind?  There’s a bird watching one I heard about here.  Winter farmers markets?  An idea I got from a friend is to do “lantern walks” where they get to carry a flashlight when it’s dark on a walk.

Thanks for the heads up on the Reima brand, I just ordered them some gloves from there, hopefully they fit.  My poor daughter's hands are so chapped and cracked because she won't keep gloves on. 

[Paper Chaser]

Our indoor playgrounds and trampoline are not super cheap--the indoor playground is 15/kid and the trampoline place is $25/kid, but I guess that's cheaper than skiing and doesn't require specialized gear.

The indoor bounce park near me offers monthly memberships that pay for themselves if you visit more than once per month. They also offer special hours for kids under 5 (and their parents) to jump exclusively without older kids. You might check if the one near you does anything like that.

[Sanitary Stache]

My youngest turned 5 this year and that is just on the low end of us being able to ski as a family. I am very comfortable skiing so we have had hand me down equipment for the kids for several years. We are connected with 5 families that we call in when the kids need new gear and there is also a local school run ski swap to fill in the missing pieces if we don’t get the right size boot or ski.

This winter since we are all in to skiing for the first time, I took a job at the mountain and that is basically an exchange for skiing. I earn just about enough money to pay for transportation to the mountain and some nice gear to fill in. Like helmets and better jackets. The job perks also get us free lift passes, access to the hotel hot tub and a handful of meals from the cafeteria.  We pack food in on family ski days.


Before downhill skiing we did some limited snow shoeing and cross country skiing. We did maybe 10 days each winter.  I pulled a bike trailer with ski conversion so when the kids got cold or tired we could pile them in the trailer and I could pull them.

More reliable was sledding in the neighborhood and the indoor swimming pool at the local hotel.  The swimming is generally the most expensive. When they were really little walks at the mall were a fixture.

[AuspiciousEight]

There are some awesome sledding hills around where I live, so pretty much every winter we go sledding at multiple hills. It's awesome - the kids love it - and it's great exercise for all of us as well.

Because of where we live we already have winter gear anyway, so the  only cost was the sleds which are pretty cheap if bought at a garage sale in the summer or outlet store.

There is also a YMCA close to where we live that is great for the winter time. It has an indoor olympic pool, another pool that is heated, indoor running track, indoor basketball courts, volleyball, dance classes, pilates, yoga...It's pretty awesome and a great place to take the kids as well to get some physical activity in the winter time.

There is also the typical building of snowmen, snow forts, igloos, and so on.

Sledding is my kids favorite activity in the winter time though - so whenever there is snow on the ground we're pretty much always sledding. There are a lot of other things we do as well - we have a full indoor gym at home, dance games, and various indoor entertainment places around like indoor go karts, but sledding is definitely the most popular with the kids.