December is the month of
the year when we spend more time with friends and family. It's
about creating memories and celebrating with those we love.
Most of our gatherings include lots of food and spending time
indoors together, but how about getting outside?
Here are some popular ideas to get out and enjoy the winter
wonderland.
- Hiking - Explore your local national park. Many of them have
trails that all ages can enjoy and it's wonderful to see how the
park changes with each season.
- Rock art - Gather rocks at your local beach or park and see
what you can create with them.
- Take pictures - Have family and friends bring a camera or buy
disposables and take a walk outside. Everyone can take pictures
during the walk and afterwards you can compare what interesting
images you were all able to capture.
- Bike riding - Gather the family and have everyone ride their
bicycles through your neighborhood or along a local park
trail.
- Sledding - Not everyone can get up on skis but anyone can take
a ride down a snowy hill on a sled.
So get out, have fun, and afterwards warm up with a nice cup of
hot chocolate.
When exploring the forests, hills and trails during the winter,
avoid handling leafless vines. Poison ivy and poison oak lose their
leaves in the winter and the vines left behind still contain the
plant's irritant, urushiol. There is enough of this oil in the
plant vines to cause a full blown poison plant rash.