Outdoor Winter FUN Fifteen Checklist
 Build a snowman or animal! Then play pin the nose on the snowman (all you need is a
blindfold & a carrot!).
 Build a snow fort and have an epic snowball fight. If snowball fights aren’t your thing, try a
snowball tossing contest. Who can throw a snowball the farthest distance? Who has that
most accurate toss and can hit a target at a distance?
 Make a snow angel.
 Find the biggest hill you can and go sledding or tubing! Want to go sledding down Silly Hill here at NCNC, but need a sled?
Borrow one from the Visitor Center! And remember to be safe.
 Take a hike and if it’s really snowy, use a pair of snowshoes! We have kid-sized pairs available to borrow at the Visitor Center.
 Create a cool snow sculpture, colored with food coloring! Just give your kids a spray bottle full of water that has been tinted
with food coloring and voilà—a blank canvas of snow can be transformed into a masterpiece.
 Still looking for more colored-ice fun? Freeze water colored with food coloring using fun-shaped ice cube trays, Jell-O molds,
etc. Then bring your colorful ice blocks outside & hide them. Just like that, you’ve created a scavenger hunt for your kids!
 Become scientists! Discover what melts ice fastest: water, sugar, salt, or nothing. What do you guess? Or, when temperatures
drop below 32°F, blow bubbles and watch them freeze on the wand!
Dress for Success
Everyone enjoys the outdoors more if they are warm and dry. So invest in some warm socks,
boots, jackets, hats, and gloves for a more positive experience. And layer up:
1. Wear a base layer that wicks moisture away from your body (synthetics or silk).
2. Your middle layer should be your insulating layer. Wear natural fibers (wool or goose down)
and fleeces to help trap hot air close to your body.
3. Finish off your look with an outer layer, called a shell, that provides protection from the
wind, rain and snow.
4. Don’t forget that hat & gloves!
 Learn all about maple syrup right here at NCNC! If you have Sugar Maple Trees in your yard, tap a tree. Stop by the Visitor
Center for some helpful hints on how to collect the sap and then turn it into maple syrup. Or become an Adopt-a-Tree Family.
 Make Jack Wax! Put a bowl outside and allow some clean, fresh snow to collect in it. Pour ½ cup of real maple syrup into a
small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat. When the syrup reaches 235°F (or after approximately 5 minutes, if you
don’t have a candy thermometer), take it off the heat and immediately drizzle over the snow you’ve collected. Let the syrup
cool for just a minute or two, then pick it up with your fingers and eat. You’ve got maple syrup taffy!
 No snow? No problem! Go on a natural items winter scavenger hunt. Look for plants that deer have nibbled on, antler rubs
on trees, an evergreen tree, a frozen puddle, a pine cone, animal tracks, etc.
 Speaking of animal tracks, why not follow one and see what an animal is up to, by reading the clues? Did the animal scurry
under a branch? Is it up a tree? Did it leave behind a pile of scat or food scraps (also called midden mounds)? Following tracks
can lead you on a pretty unique winter adventure!
 Take a night hike! Put your night time senses to the test and go for a walk in the dark. What nocturnal animals will you hear
or see? It’s amazing how well you can see at night when the stars & moon are out!
 Hungry after hiking? Start a fire and cook up a baked apple or a nice warmed banana filled with chocolate & marshmallows.
What about everyone’s favorite s’mores? There’s nothing like a hot fire and some yummy treats on a brisk day!
 Birds get hungry too, so make a birdfeeder. Find a pinecone and roll it in Crisco before rolling it in bird seed. Hang it outside,
grab a pair of binoculars and then watch for any birds that come to your feeder! Can you ID any of them?
Share your progress and discoveries with us! We’d love to hear from you on Facebook, so feel free
to post your photos there. Or stop by the Visitor Center and we’ll post any fun findings on our Winter Happenings bulletin board.
www.NewCanaanNature.org