With the reports of snowstorms happening in the eastern part of our country, it brings me back to the days when we lived in an old farmhouse in Wisconsin.

Courtesy 123RF/citalliance

We had many snowstorms during the nineteen years we called Wisconsin our home. There were times when the snow would pile up around us. Running out of heating oil in the old furnace meant we had to bury ourselves in blankets until the trucks were able to get through so we could warm our home again. Temperatures so cold that the transmission fluid in the van froze, making it impossible to drive. We learned to prepare: to stock up on milk, bread, bananas and other basic staples.

But we also decided that we would do what we could to enjoy the long winters in Wisconsin. We quickly made a list of what we could do when we were snowed in. Make things cozy indoors. Have a slumber party in the living room. Make hot chocolate. Play marathon games of Monopoly. Set up a table with puzzles. Turn the family room into a store where we would buy our supplies. Have a bake-a-thon. Break the rules and watch a video series we’d been wanting to watch—like all day long.

Winter can be a magical time of fun if you just decide you’re going to make the most of it. And not just hunkered down indoors. There are so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors as well as long as you dressed warm enough.

Here are a few ways that we took advantage of all that winter had to offer as we enjoyed the cold outdoors.

1. Walks in the snow. Just taking a short walk while the flakes are still falling can be enchanting. Watching them swirl, stomping in drifts, making footprints, and creating designs in the white blanket covering everything will revive the child’s heart in everyone.

2. Snowmen, snowball fights, forts, and the like.You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy making a snowman, or throwing a well-placed snowball. Take yourself back a few years and remember the illusion of a snowy day. Never once would you have despised the opportunity to play in its fluffiness and appreciate its grandeur.

3. Snow sports. Ever wonder why kids can stay outside in the cold so long? They keep moving! So we decided to enjoy winter and take up some sports that are only possible in that season. We had hours of fun sledding, ice skating, hockey, and even cross-country skiing as a family. Even our littlest ones had skis and would muster the endurance to complete cross-country trails at a local park for hours at a time.

Every season, no matter where you live, presents unique opportunities for family fun—even winter. Instead of griping about the cold or even snowy weather, embrace it! Teach your kids to carry great weather on the inside and make the most of whatever is outside.