Let's Build a Snowman

As the year draws to a close, those who live in cold regions know what’s coming — snow! Most either love it or hate it. Either way, Old Man Winter is about to make his debut.

You can either stay indoors and avoid it like the plague or give in to a touch of whimsy and have fun with it. When life gives you snow, use it to make a snowman!

Here are some tips to make this winter activity fun (and safe) for the whole family.

Step One: Choose Your Snow Day Wisely.

Thick, wet snow is the perfect medium to create your snow people. That means you want to pick a day when the temperature is close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius. This makes the snow a bit denser, and the extra moisture helps your sculptures retain their shape. These weather conditions are also optimal because you can stay outside for longer.

The best snow day is the highly sought-after weather sweet spot: heavy snowfall the night before, followed by 30-degree temps and sunshine. Talk about amazing snow-building weather!

Step Two: Prepare Your Troops.

You may work up a sweat sculpting in the sunshine, but noses, fingers and toes can still be vulnerable to frostbite. Here are some ways to make sure your family stays safe.

Check the windchill. If you live in a cold climate, windchills can make a huge difference when it comes to warmth. Make sure you pick a day with low winds.

Layer, layer, layer! “But Mom, I don’t wanna wear a snowsuit!” You may remember having this fight with your parents as a kid. But as adults, we know just how important snow pants, coats and snow suits are to keep everyone warm and dry.

Don’t forget to add boots, gloves, hats and scarves to the ensemble. And since kids tend to misplace or grow out of these items quickly, hit up your local thrift stores and resale shops for the goods.

Take indoor breaks. It may be just below freezing, but it’s important to warm up indoors at least every 30 minutes when playing in the snow.

Here’s a pro tip from a Midwesterner who hates cold weather: volunteer to be the adult who keeps track of time, takes pictures and has cups of hot cocoa waiting. This helps you to enjoy your family without the cold.

Step Three: Gather Your Tools.

Getting creative with your snowman ideas is arguably the best part of this fun winter activity. You can pick up the traditional carrots, coal and top hats, but it’s fun to expand on that idea to make unique creations.

When you’re hitting the thrift stores for snow gear, you can also pick up some of the best accessories for your snowmen. Brainstorm with the family before you go so everyone has a solid idea for their snowmen in mind. You can find props to transform your snowmen into:

Favorite Celebrities

• Superheroes
• Video Game Characters
• Fellow Family Members

It will be a hoot and make the festivities much more memorable.

Once you're done with the second-hand clothing and accessories, you can keep them for next year or wash them and donate them to a homeless shelter.

To really jazz it up, get molds to make shapes for your snow display. You can also prepare spray bottles filled with water and a few drops of food coloring. This way you can add bold, vibrant hues to personalize your creations. Once you have all your tools and accessories ready, it’s time to begin!

Step Four: Create a Snowman That Will Last.

To build a traditional snowman, you want to start by rolling a tightly packed snowball. Keep rolling it all over the lawn, gathering snow along the way, until you build a large base.

Tightly pack down your giant snowball to make it lode-bearing and strong enough to support the other parts of the body. Then, pat down the top so it's flat and start on the next one.

The traditional snowman calls for three snowballs — the largest should be on the bottom, followed by a medium ball in the middle, and finally, the smallest ball should be on the top. After that, you can sculpt your snowman into any shape you like.

Building snowmen is just the beginning. You can build snow pets as well, by starting with an oblong body and putting a smaller snowball on top of the head. You can use socks for floppy dog ears or sculpt cat ears with snow. The sky’s the limit!

When planning your fun snow day, don’t forget another time-honored tradition — building an epic snow fort. This activity is great for large family gatherings since it can be labor-intensive.

You can stack snowballs on top of one another or use buckets to make strong, load-bearing bricks. After you create the perfect forts, the snowball fight is on! Make adult-kid teams and have a blast!

Building a snowman with friends and family is a great way to get outdoors, get lots of exercise and sunshine and spend quality time together. It’s important to take time in life to be silly, be creative and bond with your loved ones. Building a snowman checks all those boxes.