winter

You don’t need a wallet full of cash to enjoy the cold, snowy days. There are all kinds of frugal ways to enjoy the winter season together both indoors and outdoors. Here are a few frugal boredom busters to keep your kids happy this winter, and to keep your pocketbook even happier.

*Homemade Snowman Kit

It’s just not winter fun without building a snowman. Assemble a snowman kit to have handy. Your kit can contain the following: A hat, scarf, mittens, plastic carrot nose, charcoal briquettes, (place in plastic baggie) buttons, and can add two dowels or branches for arms.

*Obstacle Courses or Winter Olympics

Jump over the mounds of snow or have relay races.

*Snow Paint

Mix food coloring and water and add to spray water bottles and spray the snow to make colorful works of art outside.

*Homemade Bird Feeder and Bird Identification

Need large pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Add peanut butter to pinecones and roll in birdseed. Keep a journal of birds in your yard. Can borrow a field guide from your local library.

*Snow Ice Cream

Mixing together a quart of milk, an egg, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in a pan. Cook on stove top until mixtures thicken and cool to room temperature. Pour this mixture over fresh snow.

*Snow Golf

Use a tin can buried in the snow for the holes or just carve out holes in the snow.

*Winter Photography

Take pictures of nature. Icicles, birds, trees, etc.

*Identify Tracks in the Snow

Check out a book from your local library on animal tracks.
Once you get started, you and your kids will find lots of ways to have fun without spending money this winter – maybe you’ll even build your own igloo!