No kid has ever had a bad time at the beach.  The same is true if they’re in a field of snow.

Unless of course they’re too cold.  Or hangry.  Or if they have to pee.  Or if their sibling throws a slushy snowball and it goes down their back…

Ok, so there are millions of reasons why a kid would have a terrible time in the snow.

But for the MOST part, kids love snow.  Especially spring snow under warm sunny skies. The kind that packs into snowballs in seconds, and makes awesome snow angels.

I was reminded of this truth this morning when I took my 3-year-old son out for some late season sledding.  Our normal sled hill had already melted out, so we diverted to plan B: snow romping.

This is a loosely defined game where he and I just mess around in powdery snow.  We always carve out some time for snowball fights (or sleds make good bases and they give a satisfying thud when snowballs hit).

There’s usually some time for crawling around like an animal (or an AT-AT) and we usually spot some animal tracks.  And there’s typically some “let me slam you with this chunk of snow” antics.

One of the big lessons I learned when I was a tour guide, is that you can’t force someone to have a good time.  You can only provide the opportunity.  It’s up to them to decide if they want to enjoy it or not.  I think the same is true for getting kids outside.  As a parent, your job is to make the (sometimes herculean) effort to get them outdoors.

From there, they will take it and run with it.

Where to Go:

Head for the mountains where the snow will linger for a few more months.  Snow Parks that are plowed for snowmobiling are good places to start.  Look for easy snowshoe trails that start at the mountain passes.  If you’re just looking for a snowy field, look for schools and playgrounds in mountain towns.

National parks like Mt. Rainier and Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park are great options.  Be sure to check the websites before heading out to see what the road conditions are like.