Child Sledding Adventures They Will Never Forget
The announcement comes at sunrise. Snow's still falling, roads are slick, and school is canceled. Snow days can be tricky for parents, but for kids, it's a chance to frolic outside building snowmen, having snowball fights, and making snow angels. In addition to all of these fun winter activities, there is one that isalways on the top of every kiddos mind the moment they hear those magical words that school has been canceled. Can you guess what it is? If you said sledding, you are correct!
Sledding is an extremely popular and fun winter activity for kids and kids-at-heart alike. As soon as the ground gets covered in snow, kids want to race to the nearest hill with their sled so they can slip and slide all the way down it. Want to make this winter season an unforgettable one? Keep reading for sledding adventures that your child will never forget.
Snow Tubing Park
First on the list of sledding adventures for the little ones is packing up the car and heading out to a fun snow tubing park. What is a snow tubing park, you ask? It's a park full of awesomeness! Okay, but really— a snow tubing park is simply a park that is designed for some serious snow tubing fun. With several tubing lanes to safely careen your little one down a semi-steep slope, a tubing park is an excellent choice for adventure.
Often, the local hill can get overrun with sledders, which can make this activity not a very safe one. Sure, maybe you've preached sledding safety to your kids and, at this point, sound like a broken record player, but that doesn't mean everyoneelse on the hill will follow the same safety tips. The runs at snow tubing parks are operated by tubing operators that only allow one child down at a time. This minimizes the risk of other sledders plowing into your tiny tots, which can cause a serious injury.
A snow tubing park is not only a great adventure to take your child on, but it's a safe one!
Sledding Party
There are two types of people in the world: folks who love snow and folks who hate it. Regardless of where you stand on this debate, a winter wonderland sledding party is an adventure that is sure to put a smile on your little ones face. Invite all the kids and their parents for a fun day of sledding at the local hill. Bring a table and lay out a tasty spread of warm treats like hot apple cider, cocoa, and eggnog. Encourage the parents to bring their own favorite winter dish to easily feed all the hungry little bellies. Want to really amp up the fun? Grab a whacky inflatable sled like a '70s inspired retro snowmobile sled and watch your kids light up as they glide uncontrollably down the hill. A sledding party is an adventure that your child is sure to never forget!
Glow Sledding
Get yourglow on and take the kids to a park that offers glow sledding. This out-of-the-world experience is a blast and a unique adventure that surely won't be forgotten. Sledding parks illuminate the hill using neon lights, laser lights, LED lights, and black lights. Energetic music can be heard as your little one glides effortlessly to the bottom of the hill under the magical dancing lights moving to the sound of the beat. Before you go, be sure to purchase glow sticks, glow rings, bracelets, and necklaces, or even glow-in-the-dark body paint to increase the fun as your kiddo zips down the slopes.
Pro-Tip:Consider making unique glow-in-the-dark shirts with your kids ahead of time so you can easily spot them in a large crowd.
Winter Resort
If you're looking for a great winter adventure to take your kids on, consider booking a vacation at a ski resort. Now, we're not saying to strap your tiny tots into skis and push them down a steep slope, although most ski resorts do hold ski lessons for the kiddos if this tickles their fancy. But we are saying is that ski resorts usually offer many more activities other than just skiing— like sledding, for example.
Find a ski resort that has a designated hill for sledding or snow tubing so your kids can spend the entire day playing while you're getting some very much needed 'you' time. The kiddie slopes are always monitored by employees, so you can rest easy knowing the kiddos are not only having a great time but asafetime. After a fun-filled day of sledding, your kids are sure to be tuckered out. Get warm and cozy by the crackling fireplace and send the little ones to bed to prepare for another day of sledding fun in the morning.
Dog Sledding
If you're looking for a unique adventure to take your kids sledding, look no further and head to Alaska for some dog sledding. This once-in-a-lifetime thrill is sure to be an experience that your kids will talk about for the rest of their lives. Book a tour with an expert dog sledding musher that can whirl you and your kids around the beautiful landscapes that Alaska has to offer. Watch your kids light up as the dogs pull the sled effortlessly through the snowy hills and icy glaciers. At the end of the ride, your kids can snuggle up next to the pups for lots of licks and kisses to thank them for such an incredible experience. Cross dog sledding off your bucket list and take your kids on a sledding adventure that they will never forget— you'll be glad you did!
Sledding Tips
Sledding is an excellent activity that is guaranteed to put a smile on your child's face. However, before heading out for your next sledding adventure, it's wise to consider these four important tips we've listed below.
Dress in warm layers.It gets cold in the winter. Like,really cold. Before heading out for a fun day of sledding, be sure to bundle everyone up in lots of warm cozy layers. Stay away from cotton, and stick with wool.
Hydrate. Did you know that hypothermia is more likely to set in when your kids are dehydrated? Avoid this scary medical emergency, and make sure your kids are drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. Send them sledding with a thermos of their favorite warm beverage like hot cocoa and ask them to come inside every hour or so to get a drink of water or eat a snack.
Apply sunscreen. You don't need sunscreen in the winter, right? Wrong! On a sunny day in the winter, fresh snow can reflect up to 90% of UV radiation. This means that your tiny tots can be exposed to almost adouble dose of UV— directly from the sun and reflected off snow-covered surfaces. And while most people think their little ones rosy red cheeks come from windburn, the truth is that there is actually no such thing. In fact, the red, stinging people associate with the wind is actually a result of the sun's UV rays. Simply put, it's a sunburn. Before sending your kids out to the local sledding hill, be sure to slather on lots of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to any skin that is exposed. If you’re out sledding with them, pop more sunscreen in your Iridescent Beach Tote so you can reapply later!
Strap on a helmet.Ah, the infamous helmet debate! To helmet, ornot to helmet. Many people think strapping on a helmet to go sledding is silly, but with sledding injuries on the rise, we are here to tell you that you will definitely want to strap one onto your little one's head before hitting the slopes. Each year in the United States, over 25,000 children under the age of fifteen are seen in the ER for sledding injuries, many of them being severe. Be smart, keep your kids safe, and strap a helmet on their delicate little heads before sending them outdoors.
Pro-Tip:If they make a fuss about having to wear one, let them pick out their own helmet and purchase some fun stickers that they can use to decorate it.
RECAP
Sledding is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to have fun in the snow. Give your child a sledding experience to remember and try one of the adventures we listed above. Whether you take your kids to zip down the hill on their favorite FUNBOY Snowmobile Sled or you take them to Alaska for a unique dog sledding experience, these sledding adventures will never be forgotten!
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20100823/sledding-accidents-land-thousands-of-kids-in-er#1
https://www.sunsmart.com.au/protect-your-skin/at-the-snow
https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/trauma/news/rough-sledding/mac-20431049
