Every winter, sledding is a popular pastime for children in colder parts of the country and we have a feeling the little ones will be spending extra time on the hill this year. Outdoor activities offer a safer alternative to indoor playdates, and with so much time in front of their screens, we’ll be happy to bundle up our children, no matter how long it takes to get the snow pants on, and get them outside for some fresh air and sunlight!

Sledding is fun just as it is, but if your children are looking to you as the Chief Entertainment Officer and you need ideas to make their sledding adventures more exciting try one of the games below.

1. Sledding relay race

Children split up into two relay teams to see which team can get all of their members down the hill and back up first. Rules are that the first teammate has to sled to the bottom of the hill and then run the sled back up for the hand off. Continue until the last team member makes it back up the hill.

This one is sure to burn off some extra energy and have them ready for bedtime!

2. Sled bowling

If you happen to have bowling pins laying around, set them up at the bottom of the hill and the children (and adults) can see how many pins they can knock over as they sled to the bottom. Don’t have bowling pins? Of course you don’t, that was a little weird of us to even suggest you did! Try empty juice bottles or milk jugs instead. Works just as well!

3. Sled snowball fight

Sledding is fun, snowball fights are fun, put them together and you have a winner. Each child fills up their sled with as many snowballs as they can and then tries to throw them at each other as they sail down the hill. Just make sure the snowballs aren’t too icy and make a “not at the head” rule; we don’t want this to turn into an emergency room visit.

4. Sled pull

If you don’t have a hill nearby, you can still put the sleds to good use and do sled pull races across the lawn. If you have four or more children playing, one can pull the other in a race against the other team. If it’s just one or two kids, you can do sled pulls with empty sleds or stuffed animals riding as passengers and race against the clock instead of each other.

5. The frosty challenge

Each child builds their very own Frosty the Snowman, or Olaf if you have Frozen fans, on top of their sleds. Then they pull the sled across the lawn in a race, but the tricky part is you need to keep the snowman standing. This is kind of like egg on a spoon, but its snowman on a sled. Warm up afterwards with a singalong to “Frosty the Snowman” or “In Summer.”

6. The X games

Is adding snow ramps and jumps into the mix with sledding a little dangerous? Probably. But hey, children are pretty resilient and they could always put a helmet on under their winter hats! (In all seriousness though, keep an eye on conditions. Ramps are really fun, but if it’s too icy suggest that your children come on in for a cocoa break.)

7. Sledding obstacle course

Steering a sled down a hill can be really hard, but it’s worth a shot! Set up cones down the hill and your children can try to weave their way in and out. Then if your little one masters this challenge, sign him or her up for bobsled lessons. You have a future Olympian on your hands!

Have fun and be safe this winter! For more activities to enjoy this holiday season and outdoor fun for the winter months ahead our team has you covered.