As the temperature drops and the nights draw in, my only consolation lies in planning a ski holiday and checking the snow forecasts as regularly as a meteorologist. Having spent a year working in a ski resort, I start to crave a warm hat, a vin chaud and the unique feeling of snow melting on my eyelashes. Skiing may be my choice of a winter adrenalin rush but if a year in a ski resort taught me nothing else, I learnt that the scope of winter sports on offer is truly startling. There is something for everyone no matter how much or how little adrenalin takes your fancy. With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, (starting on February 7^th) what better time to introduce children to winter sports. For a full list of winter olympic sports, please visit: http://www.olympic.org/sports

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/22124248

It can be hard to choose which sport might be right for your child and winter sports can provide some rather different barriers to entry than most other sports. There is always someone to knock a tennis ball about with but there isn’t always a bobsleigh track to perfect your turns. Kit tends to be technical to combine both warmth with movement and functionality and that is before you include hardware such as skis and skates. Much has been done to increase access to winter sports over the last few years but even so there are some things to consider:

1. What kind of access do you have to the sport of your choice? These could be financial or logistical considerations such as how far do you have to travel? How much kit do you need to buy? How often can you partake?

2. In terms of the age that you start your child on a winter sport, whether skating or skiing, think carefully about their level of athleticism, their balance and their interest in new activities.

3. Winter sports skills can build team work, coordination skills and can bring aspects of science and geography to life. Children learn to follow instructions and how to assess risk as well as learn survival skills.

4. If children are young think about mixing up winter sports with snow play activities and less physically intense activities.

5. Try to acclimatise children to both the equipment and the cold. Comfort is so important so gage your child’s reaction to trying on the equipment. If there is an indoor slope, rink or ice climbing wall nearby, use it as an opportunity to trial equipment, layers of clothing and become accustomed to the cold. Winter is the perfect time to try skating with pop up rinks in cities around the world.

6. Remember that many winter sports are hard work so children need plenty of food, plenty of sleep and plenty of liquid.

Winter sports can take place close to home even if that is a city or hot country but it is true that the opportunities are not the same as for those living in the mountains with cold conditions in the winter. But for those keen on sampling a range of winter sports without wanting to commit to one, many resorts and winter sports holidays offer a host of activities to try from snowshoeing to snowboarding, husky sledding to ski-biking, ice diving to ice-climbing, cross-country skiing to bob skeleton as well as speed skating or figure skating. Here are some pointers on a few popular choices:

Skating: Children can often start at around the age of three and some ice hockey leagues even take children as young as four. One of the more accessible winter sports, many towns and cities have ice rinks to build up momentum without having to go anywhere. Skating can be a great confidence builder as well as help develop coordination whether your child chooses figure skating, speed skating or ice hockey.

Skiing/Snowboarding: Most ski schools take children from three or four whereas a lot of snowboard schools recommend children starting a bit later at around the age of seven. There are well developed areas for young children to become acclimatised to the equipment and movements that are required and both these sports could foster a lifelong family passion. There are also a huge number of options from within these sports whether freeriding is your passion or you want to head for the half pipe in the park. Many ski clubs offer race training for children which is a fantastic way to develop their skills and discipline.

Bobsleigh: You might not think that a tin can reaching speeds of 140kmph is something available for children but many commercial tracks now have different types of sleigh which don’t go quite so fast and which children from the age of 8 can ride on their own. Younger children can ride accompanied. Sounds great if your children are adrenalin junkies or love roller coasters.

Sledging and snowman making: Never forget the fun that can be had on a sledge for those of all ages! Winter sports should always be fun and sledging never loses its appeal whether young or old!

The post Child’s chances as a Winter Olympian appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

However, hibernation seems far from the mind of children as they bound around with just as much energy and just as much need for activity as the rest of the year. Outdoor activities are somewhat restricted as the parks are shrouded in darkness as you pick them up from school. There are no longer the easy summer evenings of bike rides, throwing a Frisbee or lounging on a picnic rug. There are however, many options to make the most of winter.

Outdoors

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Wrap up warm. There is always the saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad kit. No one has fun if they are cold, wet and miserable but these can be prevented with the right clothing. Make sure if you are walking in the dark you remain visible to cars and bikes by using florescent strips. Stay active. It really is so important for children to have the opportunity to be physically active and having had the chance to run off all that energy, they will be much easier to entertain at home. If you are struggling for space or somewhere out of the dark, think about what your local area has to offer whether a swimming pool, soft play centre or floodlit sports pitches. If you are stuck inside and have limited space, children can still be active using items such as balloons, which aren’t going to damage anything. Children also always love to make up dance routines and this can be an excellent way of using limited space creatively. Use the seasons. Autumn and winter have lots to offer – puddles to be jumped in, leaves to roll in, conkers to be found and snowmen to make. Make up a winter nature trail. There is always something special about discovering a frozen spider’s web or looking at the patterns that frost makes on leaves.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/

Conduct science experiments. This is the perfect time of year for children to understand the effects of temperature on solids, liquids and gases. Leave one container of water outside overnight to see it freeze and another inside and compare the difference. What happens when you bring the ice back into the warm? How much quicker does it melt if you put it by a heater? You can even make decorations for the garden using this idea by filling some balloons with food colouring and let them freeze. Once frozen take away the balloon coating and you have some giant, coloured ice marbles. Once again this is a great way to show how solids and liquids act differently – how liquids fit the space of their container whilst solids have a fixed shape. You could even freeze objects inside ice trays or inside the frozen balloons for children to experiment with different ways of getting them out.

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/

If it is several degrees below 0 ° outside, take out some bubble mixture with a wand, watch them freeze in the air and see what happens to them when they pop. There is really nothing better than curling up by the fire with a hot chocolate after being busy outside.

Craft ideas

Winter provides a wealth of craft opportunities whether taking leaves home and creating collages or making ‘bug hotels’ using natural provisions. Children also love leaf and bark rubbings trialling out different textures.

http://shabbyinlove.blogspot.co.uk/

Making Christmas decorations can while away many a happy hour. Paper chains are simple, yet effective and children love to see their hard work on display as they really feel as if they are contributing. Snowflakes are another favourite. 3D models can be made using different length pipe cleaners and look effective on the Christmas tree. Paper cut-outs look fantastic on the window and are always good to encourage children to work on their dexterity with scissors. Make salt dough decorations. Put 1 cup of salt and 2 cups of flour into a bowl and slowly add ¾ of a cup of water. Mix it all together (children can also help with this). Dust the table with flour and roll it out before using cookie cutters to make wintery shapes (children could also use it to model freely). Once dry (either leave overnight near a heater or bake in the oven), they can be decorated. Winter can offer so many options for exploration and discovery even if it is dark and the weather is less than desirable. Sometimes children need to develop a certain robustness if they are reluctant in these conditions, and almost always, as soon as they are engaged, all complaints disappear. This could be as simple as introducing hide and seek into a winter walk where they have to run ahead and hide, or set a treasure hunt for them to follow using a trail of flour to guide their way. How do you keep your children busy during the winter months and how do you ensure that they get enough physical activity? We would love to hear your ideas. Featured photo credit: Bunches and Bits {Karina} / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

The post Keep your children entertained throughout the winter appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.