Imagine your neighborhood pond has frozen over.

There are ice crystals over the frozen water and at some points you can see frozen bubbles or even the aquatic plants below. The ice acting as a perfect window. The reeds stick out, preserved in the cold air. Nestled in various bunches of reeds are red winged black bird nests, abandoned for the winter. You and your kids brave the frozen waters, searching for nests and the potential of eggs. One child has an unruly stick to push the reeds aside as you walk. The other kid wields a sword she uses to whack the surface of the pond, searching for potential weak spots in the ice.

Sounds like an amazing adventure, right?

This adventure happened only a few steps from my house in the suburbs of the town we live in in Montana. It was an epic adventure to my little toddlers.

Our outing didn’t start out this way.

It started as a forced dog walk that my 3 year old reluctantly came on. I was carrying the 1 year old on my hip. I was wearing a skirt. Definitely not your standard adventure situation. But as we were out, we saw ice crystals glittering on the ponds surface. My son was drawn to it.

Thus an adventure(r) was born.

Playing outside with your kids in the winter may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering outdoor activities to do with them. There’s usually a slew of reasons why not. They might catch a cold, you don’t have the exactly appropriate clothes, it takes forever to get them geared up, they might slip on the ice, or you just don’t feel like it. I can relate to having all of those thoughts. However, playing outside in the winter can provide a wide range of benefits for both you and your kids.

Here are five reasons why playing outside with your kids in the winter when it’s cold is healthy:

1. Boosts Immune System: Exposure to cold temperatures can actually help improve your immune system. Being outside in the cold can help stimulate the production of white blood cells, which can help fight off illness.
2. Provides Exercise: Playing outside in the winter can provide an excellent form of exercise. The cold air can help improve circulation and increase energy levels. Additionally, playing in the snow can help improve strength, balance, and coordination.
3. Improves Mood: Being outside, in nature during winter can help improve your mood, especially if you live in the colder parts of the world. Exposure to natural sunlight can help boost vitamin D levels, which can help improve mood and ward off seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
4. Enhances Creativity: Playing outside in the winter can provide a unique environment for creativity. Building snow forts, making snowmen, and creating snow sculptures can help enhance your child’s imagination and creativity.
5. Builds Family Bonds: Playing outside in the winter can provide an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your family. Engaging in outdoor activities together can help build strong family bonds and create lasting memories.

Remember, everything is an adventure to your kids.

And those adventures always come with amazing side effects. So even if you can’t go out for hours and hours and you can only get out for 10 minutes, that is better than nothing! Your kids will appreciate it. And whether you’re up for it or not, you will inevitably appreciate it too.