Friday 18 January 2013

Keeping vitamin D levels up!

It can be really hard in winter to keep vitamin D levels up and to make sure little ones get enough exercise in the great outdoors - despite the cold weather my son still needs his twice daily dose of outside time to burn off some of his never-ending energy…here are some ideas of games and activities I’ve gleaned from other parents, the internet and trial and error.

 
Torchlight catch: just like the classic game, except players catch each other with beams of light, instead of hands – once you get outside in the dark and turn the lights on they’ll probably start playing by themselves and already know the rules - make sure children are in a reasonably confined area like a back-garden so they don’t get lost in the dark.

 
Make your own ice-rink: if you’ve got some concrete in your garden and it’s really cold you can make your own ice-rink by spraying water on it overnight and leaving it to freeze – when you wake up in the morning, hey presto, you’ve got your own ice-rink!

 
Make coloured ice balloons: You’ll need balloons; food colouring; water; scissors…Fill balloons with a drop of food colouring and water; tie shut and leave them outside overnight, if it's cold enough, to freeze. When they're frozen solid, cut the balloon off of the frozen ball and there you have it – gorgeous colourful ice sculptures.

 
Running down hills: OK, so you can do this in the hot weather but running down a frosty hill when the ground is slightly harder underfoot is much easier – my toddler spent all morning today running down a hill only stopping to catch his breath and whoop with joy – it was bliss to watch.

 
I’m forever blowing bubbles: Blowing bubbles isn’t just a summer activity – get your bottle of bubbles and head outside with the kids. They’ll be amazed as the bubbles firm up mid-air and land without popping.

 
Have a winter picnic: Not as barmy as it sounds – get a thermos of hot thick soup, some hot chocolate and some tasty biscuits, grab your blanket and warm clothes and find a picturesque spot in the park to enjoy your lunch – I’d recommend running around a bit first to get warm though!

 
And finally once you’ve home and need warming up – when was the last time you made a den with your children? Grab your duvet and some cushions, put the duvet over the kitchen table and sit with a warm mug of cocoa reading stories to your children with a torch – they’ll be in heaven.

 
If it really is too cold to get outside - check out my suggestions for the best places to take kids for hot chocolate in London.

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