Physical Education in the Snow

Image Credit: Banff Lake Louise

It's winter here in the northern hemisphere and for many of us that means snow. This is the time of year when many kids and adults hunker down and do indoor activities. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of fun things that can be done in the snow. If you're a physical education teacher looking for some outdoor activities or you have kids of your own that just have to get out of the house for a little while, consider trying some of the following.

NOVA, as a part of their program on Denali, has directions for building a snow cave and directions for building an Igloo.

Boys' Life offers a list of outdoor winter games as well as directions for building igloos and snow shelters.

In this video BBC Survival Expert Ray Mears teaches viewers how to make an igloo and what igloos were traditionally used for.

How Stuff Works provides information about building igloos and a good article about the Inuit people.

Making your own snowshoes is an activity that can be done indoors with the final product enjoyed outdoors. Mother Earth News offers directions for making your own snowshoes. How Cast has video directions for making an emergency pair of snowshoes.

When I was about seven or eight I was given a copy of The American Boy's Handy Book (Amazon link). That book is filled with fun hands-on indoor and outdoor activities including an entire section devoted to Snowball Warfare and other snow-related activites.