Moms Talk: Winter Weather Takes Creative Thinking

With the region blanketed in snow and more anticipated in the coming weeks, school-centered routines are being disrupted and parents are asking, “What do we do with the kids on a wintry day?”

Luckily, the most economical, obvious and fun source of entertainment can be found in one’s own backyard: the snow itself.  Like their parents before them, children can be amused for hours playing in the snow as they build snowmen or forts, make snow angels and throw a snowball or two. For those who find the winter weather isolating, sledding on local hills is another avenue of fun which also provides welcome social interaction for parents and children alike.

 In Plainview, even older children who shun outdoor play for added sleep or time on computers  like to congregate at the Mattlin Middle School hill, where everyone, from tot to teenager, sleds down the slope.  Smaller and less crowded sledding hills are located within the local neighborhoods such as at the park on the corner of Princeton Drive and Washington Avenue.  In addition, Bethpage State Park has designated sledding areas, which most recently included the Red Course, next to the Clubhouse.

The only limitation on outdoor winter fun is the weather itself and the prospect of frigid temperatures, precipitation or wind calls for consideration of indoor options as well.  Plainview Old-Bethpage residents looking for a cost saving, local alternative to malls and movies can steer their children toward a variety of free, one day age-specific programs offered by the public library. 

Library World, the library’s publication, lists upcoming events which include “Pre-School Crafts”, “Snowman Bells” for school age children and parents during which the families paint and decorate snowmen made from flower pots, and “Chinese New Year Celebration” for grades 2 through 4. Upcoming activities for teens include “Super Bowl Appetizers” where teens make homemade dip, Mexican wraps and pizza bites, and “Homemade Chicken Soup” which is another hands-on cooking class.

In addition, the library features a monthly “Book Buddies” program which pairs early readers with their teen counterparts, who receive community service credit. The only requirements to participate in the library’s programs are advance registration and proof of age and residency.

Likewise, Borders in Syosset sponsors free child friendly events such as “Family Game Night” and, for a change of pace, POB Middle School in Plainview offers a more physical outlet with its Saturday recreational swim sessions.

For parents who are homebound with their children and trying to avoid a marathon of video games and television shows, the kitchen can provide enormous family fun. Traditionally made hot chocolate, always a winter staple, may be varied by putting chocolate chunks on sticks and dipping them into frothy hot milk.  “Smores,” a shorthand for a graham cracker sandwich stuffed with chocolate and marshmallows and heated, is also a cold weather treat.

While an unstructured winter’s day can pose challenges for a parent, it can also be extremely rewarding and a camera should be kept on hand to insure that when all the snow melts away, the memories will remain.