If you are anything at all like me when it gets cold and dark (three words: December in Canada) all I want to do is listen to my instincts to curl up and hibernate–and that means stuffing my face and staying inside doing diddly squat.

BUT (if you don’t want to gain a pile of weight, you want to combat depression, and get invigorated) then what you need to do–even if you have to force yourself–is to jump off the couch, brush the shortbread crumbs from your chin and don your skates. And while you’ve at it, toss some on your kids as well. (Of course.)

Playing outside in the winter is as equally important (if not more so) as during the warmer months. During the winter months it can be difficult to get vitamin D (from the sun) which is important for bone development and strength–scary fact, some kids are getting rickets due to a vitamin deficiency! But going outside can help! As well, being active helps with mood and seasonal affect disorders which can be a serious issue if you live in regions with less sunlight at this time of year.

The problem is… it can be difficult to get out during the day if the kids are at school and at night it is cold and dark. But you know what else? The night is still a great time to be active, get out, connect with others and boost your mental health as well as physical health with an activity like night skating.

The best part? Time together. This family time can create memories and experiences that help build individual as well as family resiliency. Plus, being active can help with confidence, body image, and more.

And how about night skating (night ice skating, that is)? It’s good for many things. Let’s see… balance, coordination, muscle strength, gross motor skills, and if you add a hockey stick–eye-hand coordination and timing.

How about you? How do you keep your family active during the winter months?

Have you subscribed to the It’s All Kid’s Play newsletter? It’s not too late to get December’s copy–it includes an interview with SANTA!! Click here to subscribe now and get a free ebook of travel games for your holiday vacations!

Have you ever been to the horse races? Last year they started a horse race track near where we live. So of course I had to check it out and take the kids to the horse races!

And yes, some of you might be aghast and thinking: You took your kids to the track!!??

Yes. Yes, I did. And it rocked.

Here’s Why The Track Rocked

Taking the kids to the horse races was a one of a kind experience. Not only was it free to watch the races, we toured the barns to see all the horses, jockeys, and the “bikes.” (I’m not a 100% sure we were allowed to do that, but we acted like we were supposed to be there and stayed out of the way and nobody said anything. So maybe?)

We sat in the front row. We sat in the back row. We sat way up in the air conditioned building where the announcer was. (Well, not in his booth, but up in the building where we could see him through a window.)

Not only that–they gave us free ice cream! What could be better than that?

Pretty much nothing.

We people watched. We hung out. We took in everything. It was all a new experience.

It was a great way to spend an hour. And no, we didn’t place any bets. But we did try to guess which horse was going to be the fastest. We weren’t very accurate. But it was a fun challenge for us and a nice little game to play.

So what are you doing today? Maybe there is something you would never consider doing with the kids that might just turn out to be an awesome family activity. Like taking the kids to the horse races.

Give it a shot and…

Enjoy!

Over to you: Share a story of somewhere you went that didn’t seem like a “family” place or was “backstage” that ended up being a pile of fun. I love hearing about stories of the unexpected!

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