It’s cold outside right now, and as Dylan sleeps the night away, it is snowing like crazy. We have not had much snow at all yet this winter, and winter in Vermont is normally associated with snow and plenty of it. It is possible that this storm will bring anywhere between six and eighteen inches of snow to our home. Tomorrow morning, Dylan is sure to be excited when he sees what happened overnight. He loves to be outdoors, even in the snow and the cold.
If you have a toddler or two at home, chances are that your little ones love the snow just as much as Dylan does. After all, it is only around for part of the year, it melts in your mouth and in your hands, and you can throw it, dig it, build with it, and slide on it. From a toddler’s perspective, snow is pretty exciting stuff.
Snow play can be an opportunity for your child to learn a little about this wonderful white stuff and how it has different textures, what it is made from, and so on. It is also a great way to direct all of that wonderful toddler energy towards outdoor activity instead of destroying the house. Some toddlers even enjoy helping to shovel the deck, driveway, or sidewalk with their own pint sized snow shovel. That is one of Dylan’s favorite things to do, and he would do it all day if I let him.
Speaking of being out in the snow all day, it is natural for your toddler to want to be outside in the snow all day. Of course, you do not want to be out there supervising him all day because it is cold and wet. Even if you love to play in the snow like I do, you may find yourself in a position where you have a baby and a toddler at home and you have to bundle the baby up and bring him outside so that your toddler can get some snowy play time in. Fortunately, you have a legitimate reason to keep outdoor play time to a certain amount of time – safety. Toddlers can get too cold, even if they are running around. Be sure to get yourselves indoors fairly often to warm up, check for and replace wet clothing, and have something to eat and drink.