When winter weather slams the Northeast and closes Brooklyn schools, cabin fever can set in as kids and parents are trapped indoors. There's no need to sit in front of the TV or computer all day long, or go nuts cooped up inside when there's no school in Brooklyn.
Here are some tips on what you can do to get outdoors and enjoy the snowfall when school's closed.
1. WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE'S SNOW AND NO SCHOOL IN BROOKLYN? GO SLEDDING
It’s fun to go sledding! You can use a real sled of course. But if it is late in the season, and the stores are sold out, be inventive. Do what college kids do, and use a cafeteria-style plastic tray. Or an old cookie tin (though the metal will conduct the cold, brrr). Or try skittering down a hill on an upside down garbage pail cover (your own) Any old
2. NO SCHOOL? BUILD SNOWMEN, SNOW PEOPLE, SNOW SCULPTURES & SNOW FORTS IN BROOKLYN
Everyone who grew up in the Northeast or Midwest knows how to make a snowman. But it might not be obvious if you happen to have grown up in Hawaii or Latin America. Here are some basics:
- The best snow for building snowmen is wet, light and sticky.
- The basic technique is to roll a larger ball from a smaller ball. Pat it smooth. Then pile up one ball on top of the next.
- Bring something decorative with you to make the face; raisins for eyes and a carrot for the nose are classics. Or, scavenge some stones or sticks for decoration.
- If you wrap an old scarf around your Brooklyn snowman's neck, don't expect to see it the next day!
- Bring extra gloves: handling all that snow soaks through mittens.
3. SCHOOL'S CLOSED FOR A SNOW DAY? SNOWSHOEING OR CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING IN BROOKLYN
Both adults and kids will need equipment for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. But if you happen to have the gear, there are great places to enjoy the winter snowfall, right in Brooklyn.
FIND OUT: Where to go Cross-Country Skiing in Brooklyn
Places for Beginner Nordic Skiers in Brooklyn.
Fight cabin fever when school is closed due to snow, and have fun outdoors with the kids!
