By Défi Santé
Weekends are a great time to spend with family—playing outside, sharing meals and enjoying a movie night. Here are some ideas to make the most of your family time!
Start with a nutritious breakfast
Start the day off right by eating a healthy breakfast with your family, a great way to boost your energy levels and help you brave the cold temperatures! Try a veggie omelette, wholewheat bread with almond butter, a slice of ham, or oatmeal and yogurt topped with berries (rich in vitamin C) and sprinkled with chia seeds or nuts. Use your imagination and treat your tastebuds!
Before throwing on your boots, hat and mitts to play outside, set aside a little time to prepare your dinner. Slow cookers are a great way to prep fast so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time having fun. You’ll come home to cozy, comforting smells and a ready-to-eat meal. Per-fect-ion.
Spend time in the great outdoors
Weekends are the best time to switch off and reconnect with nature! You can have fun outside with your kids without spending a ton of money or having to leave the city. It can be as simple as having a snowman contest in your backyard or in a park near your house. Turn up the fun by giving your snowmen personalities like the nerd, the robot or the athlete. Dress them up with accessories or decorate them with dried fruits and seeds that the birds will love to nibble on.
Other ideas? Build a snow fort, have a snowball fight or put your skills to the test by throwing snowballs in a bucket. You could also hide an object in your backyard and send your little ones off to look for it. Once they’ve found it, have them hide it and it’ll be your turn to look for it. Up the ante by hiding small white objects that are harder to find like ping-pong or golf balls.
If you’re feeling active, throw on some snowshoes or cross-country skis, try sledding on inner tubes or set up an obstacle course in the snow or on a walk in the woods. Activities like these couldn’t be easier and are a great way to get some exercise in. The important thing is to stay active, spend time outside and, above all, have fun!
Get cozy back home
After breathing in all that fresh air and burning off some energy, it’s time to head back home with your rosy cheeks and happy moods! Keep the fun going with everyone’s favourite winter drink: an ultra-creamy hot chocolate. Serve it as a snack while you wait for dinner and break out the board games to keep you occupied!
When you’re ready to eat, set the table and serve up your delicious honey-mustard chicken that’s been simmering slowly all day. We recommend turning off all screens and devices so you can enjoy every bite and spend some quality family time.
Wrap up your day by snuggling up over a good movie. Make some popcorn with homemade seasoning and get cozy under a blanket—the perfect ending to a family day of fun.
Looking for more great family outdoor activities and recipes ideas? Visit our website DefiSante.ca
Have a great winter!