10 Ways Chase the Winter Blues

Remember sun?  The color green?

I don't know about you, but I've kind of had enough of winter.

Anyway, recently, I was hiking with a small group of students near the Nature Center when suddenly we heard a tremendous popping noise.  My reaction was involuntary, "Hey, what was that?!"  We heard laughter-- lot's of people laughing in fact-- and then Pete, Dodge Naturalist Extraordinaire, poked his head around the corner of the building.  Pete smiled innocently, "We were just exploding dry ice."

Naturalists get their kicks in interesting ways.  Turns out the Nature Center staff was amusing themselves by blowing up the dry ice that comes in every shipment of rats for the raptors.  Pete explained it all very matter-of-factly and I got the distinct impression it wasn't the first time the staff has enjoyed a late afternoon explosion.

So, "cabin fever" has set in a bit early this year.  Maybe it's the fact that we've had snow since Halloween, or was it August?  Maybe it's the bitter cold.  Or the lack of vitamin D.  Whatever the case may be, we are all getting creative about how we amuse ourselves mid-winter here at Dodge.  Here are...

10 Ways to Chase the Winter Blues, Dodge Style:

1. Snow Bonfire

Make a fire in the snow.  Easy to do in your back yard (if your neighborhood allows).  Make snow seats.  Find some sticks and roast a bagel or two (pre-butter bagels and simply poke the stick through the convenient hole).  Parents can enjoy "refreshments" without worrying about melting ice.  This may seem like it requires extra effort, but once you get over the psychological hump of putting snow pants on and assembling fire stuff, you'll be happy.  The keys to a successful snow fire are warm clothes and snacks.  Very magical at night.  Check-out Birgitta Ralston's great book, "Snow Play."  My colleague, Joey, received the book as a gift and it has been a real inspiration.

2. Build a Quinzhee

"Quinzhee" is an Athabaskan word for snow cave.  Grab a shovel and heap up some snow.  Let the snow sit for a few days and compress.  Then use your shovel or your feet to scoop/kick out a door and "room."  These can be as big or as small as you like.  Decorate with sticks, evergreen boughs or colored ice.  See below.  You can build a couple of quinzhees around your snow fire for extra snow village fun.  Please don't climb on top once they are built.





3. Ice is Nice

Grab ice cube trays, jello molds, bowls or cake pans.  Fill and freeze with colored water (diluted liquid watercolor or food coloring work well).  You can decorate your quinzhee with pretty ice jewels.  Get tricky and freeze string or ribbon into your ice and hang ice ornaments in trees.

4. Learn How to Make Dumplings
Celebrate Chinese New Year--it's the Year of the Rabbit--with food.  Learn how to make Lin's terrific dumplings.  Lin and her mom, Marin, showed us how to cook these easy, delicious and addictive little packet of yumminess.  Veggie or Pork?  The choice is yours.  The whole family can get in on the act of cooking.  See recipe page, "Lin's New Year Dumplings," under "Kitchen Catalyst" below. 

5. Have a Parade

Keep the Chinese New Year theme going.  Bang on a drum by your snow fire.  Grab whatever makes a ruckus and traipse through your house, making as much noise as possible.  This is a great way to chase away bad luck and make room for good fortune.  You can also clean your house for the New Year, but that's not quite as fun.

6. Paint it Red

Days have been monochromatic, with lowering, peevish skies.  Chase away all that grey with a burst of red.  Make paper lanterns and hang them about the house (or in your yard).  Acquire red construction paper.  Fold in half lengthwise.  Cut into the fold, moving down the spine of the crease.  Turn paper horizontal and form a tube.  Punch holes in the top for yarn to string.  Hang.  Repeat.  Lanterns + Dumplings=Party.

7. Zen Snow Spiral
Need some exercise?  Here is another idea we pilfered from Brigitta Ralston:  the snow maze or spiral.  Find a nice big expanse of blank snow.  Start tromping in a big circle, but before you close it, start spiralling in.  Tighter and tighter your spiral gets until your right in the middle. The only way out is back the way you came, so consider the size of your spiral before you start.  Young children can become surprisingly committed to this time-consuming activity; a zen sense of peace might be achieved by sending everyone out to make a spiral while you enjoy a quiet cup of tea.

8. Spark
The Scandinavians call kick sledding, "sparking."  Well, that's what I'm told, but I'm not sure it sounds the same in Norwegian.  Some Scandinavians commute to work and school with kick sleds.  We have some kick sleds here at Dodge that the Preschoolers and visiting school agers use, but you can try out this great cardio activity too.  Dodge hosts events like Frosty Fun, when the general public can have at our kick sleds, but some local parks also provide kick sleds for your pleasure.  Visit Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan and glide over a frozen lake or plan a longer route and pack a snow picnic.  Mountain Boy company makes a home grown version and the Hearth Song and Magic Cabin retailers sell kick sleds too.

9. Snowshoe
Come on, are you really a Minnesotan if you haven't snowshoed?  If preschoolers can snowshoe, so can you.  Stop by Dodge, our Executive Director, Jason Sanders, will be happy to give you a snowshoe tour of the place.  Snowshoeing is another great cardio workout and you'll feel so woodsy.  You don't have to be a mountain woman to snowshoe.  I can get them at Lakeville at City Hall whenever I want.  Lebanon Hills has 'em. Most state parks, including nearby Afton, have them too.  I recommend going off trail, otherwise, what's the point?

10. Paint the Blues
In our room, we decided to embrace the winter blues by painting them (see "Get In Line" posting for more serious details).  Kids mixed winter hues and just painted away.  Teachers found the activity soothing and fun too.  You might just try it at home on your own, or with your kids.  Watercolors or cheap tempera will work just fine.  Watercolor crayons are another great choice if you don't have a lot of space for mess; the crayons can be dipped in a cup of water and you can "paint" in a notebook on your lap, at a counter or the kitchen table.