For many adults, the onset of winter means frozen car locks, fender bender causing ice, and a sore back from shoveling snow. For a child, however, winter means snowball fights, snowmen, eating icicles, and (hopefully) at least one day off school.
Out of the thousands of different ways to play in the snow, my absolute, number one, king and queen of activities has always been and shall forever remain sledding.
Oh, if there were only a way to reproduce that terrifying and exhilarating rush of cold air and snow slicing into your face as you rocket down a miniature mountain of compressed snow and ice on a $15 piece of plastic or decades old toboggan sled.
My favorite part of sledding was when, during a particularly fast run, I would unintentionally discover a ramp of snow on the hill. There was no way to prepare for the sudden weightlessness I felt as all the world’s sound dropped away, my hands loosening their grip on my sled’s edges, my legs drifting up and over my torso… for that slight moment I would be flying.
Inevitably, my body would crash down and slide the rest of the way down the hill, my clothes acting as shovels along the way, scooping mounds of snow down my back and into my pants. With mittens, hat, and scarf scattered across the bottom of the hill, I would dodge the other children coming down trying to get everything back together before running back up the hill for another run.
Except this time, I would aim for the snow ramp.
Its memories like this, moments of pageantry and simultaneous tragedy that make playing in the snow so much fun and make the burden of winter that much easier to tolerate.
If you have a favorite snow play memory, log in and share it in our forums. Were you a sledding speed-demon or were you perfecting spins and twists on ice rink? Were you the general of the snowball fight or an architect to a great backyard igloo? What about those embarrassing snow related calamities? Did you ever stick your tongue to a metal pole? Personally, I was the victim of many a "face wash", which is the experience of being tackled to the ground and having snow rubbed into your face.
Visit the Forums and share your snow play memories now!
P.S. If you know the location of a sled hill or ice rink, add it to the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder as a field and help everyone in America find a new and great place to (snow) play!