Winter Wanderland: Taking a Winter Walk Doesn't Have to Be a Chore 

• Annelise Capossela

During winter's chilliest months, many people avoid taking unnecessary trips outside. But the lack of fresh air and natural light can take a toll on your mental and physical health, especially if you're caring for a kiddo who's bouncing off the walls.

Some caregivers take the kids skiing or snowboarding to get outdoors. But not everyone can afford all the gear and lift tickets. And while downhill sports deliver a rush, they don't do much to connect kids to the natural rhythms of the season.

Fortunately, there's another outdoor activity that's free and accessible from your front door. In my opinion, it's one of the best options for winter fun with a kid, aside from sledding or building a snow fort, and it's good for adults' physical and mental health, too: the humble winter walk.

Wait! I know what you're thinking. It's too cold, or, My kid hates walks. But as an avid walker and parent of a 7-year-old, I've spent the past five years perfecting my techniques. I've also polled other caregivers and educators to round out the following guidance. Read on for five tips for taking your child on a winter walk ... and actually enjoying it.

Dress for success

A cold kid is an unhappy kid. In some cases, one unpleasantly chilling winter walk can set the stage for resistance to cold-weather walks altogether.

The first defense against that resistance is to make sure kids are equipped for the experience. In Vermont, that means finding waterproof shoes or boots, warm hats, and insulated gloves. Ask around for hand-me-downs or shop for used options. Most youth snow gear still has plenty of life left, since kids outgrow their clothes so quickly.

Layers are important, too. Formfitting pants and long-sleeved shirts keep skin dry, while an insulating layer such as a snowsuit, puffer jacket or fleece holds in warmth. If it's rainy or windy, you may want to add a windbreaker or rain jacket over the top.

Bring a thermos

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• © Kusandra | Dreamstime

When my daughter was 3, my boss shared a winter walk tip that changed our lives: hot chocolate. It can be any warm drink your child enjoys, but it helps if the drink is a special treat that they don't get every day. Make the drink beforehand and put it in a thermos to bring along with you.

This tip transformed our winter walks from arduous to adventurous, and it remains as popular today as it was four years ago. We call them Hot Walk-o-lates, and sometimes my daughter requests them. As a small child, the warm sugar rush sent her skipping ahead and running back for a quick top-up every few minutes. As a bigger kid, she loves having the thermos on hand to slowly sip from, as do I. (Truth be told, hot drinks are a great tip for adults, too.)

Engage their senses

A lot of Vermonters gripe about winter. But as someone born and raised in California, I am endlessly fascinated by our state's winter dreamscapes: how the snow transforms the landscape and the knife-cold air stings your cheeks. Or how the freeze-thaw-freeze of water can conjure up such mysterious sounds and textures.

Children are almost always curious about winter phenomena as long as they're comfortable (see the first tip). Caretakers can draw out kids' natural inclination to explore by asking questions and sharing observations. Examples might be looking for wildlife tracks or scat, listening for winter birds, or tasting fresh snow. Sometimes it helps to bring a prop, such as a ruler or magnifying glass, to encourage kids to take a closer look at what's around them.

Get creative

Kids aren't always in the mood for hot drinks or observation. This is especially true when it's very cold or they have grown tired. By then, small children generally aren't interested in assurances that movement will keep them warmer and get them back inside more quickly. If they're too big to carry long distances, you could be looking at an unpleasant situation in below-freezing temperatures that turns a five-minute walk into a half-hour crawl of despair.

Fortunately, I have another winter walk trick up my sleeve: Tell a story. It can be a retelling or a riff on their favorite story, but it's also a lot of fun to make something up. Your story doesn't have to be a Nobel Prize winner. All you need is a character or two, a problem they're experiencing, and a resolution. When my daughter was younger, our go-to setting was a magical forest world. The forest was populated by unicorns and fairies whose conflicts centered on contests, parties, injuries or anything else that kept her attention. Whatever the story, have fun with it. Encourage kids to contribute ideas or run with the narrative themselves, and they might just forget about how tired and cold they are.

Another variation on this idea is to visit a StoryWalk, where each page of a picture book is laminated and posted along a short nature trail. Several Vermont libraries host StoryWalks through town parks or trails. It's a great option for early readers.

Design a mission ... or don't

Some parents swear by geocaching as a means of getting kids excited about the outdoors. Caregivers help kids find "buried treasure" in a hidden container nearby by registering at geocaching.com and searching for a nearby site. Kids can use a smartphone or GPS to navigate to the loot's location. (Just make sure to bring a small item to leave in the cache in exchange for taking one.)

Another idea is the tried-and-true scavenger hunt. Some caregivers get fancy by plotting maps and clues ahead of time, but you certainly don't have to. If you're with a group, one of you can run ahead a bit to hide something simple, such as a goldfish cracker, and see who finds it.

You could also ditch the objective altogether. Adults often plan a walk with an endgame in mind, but many children will happily spend an hour moving just a few feet. The goal of a "free-range" walk is not to get from point A to point B but rather to slow down and explore whatever seems interesting. It can be a hard shift for busy adults, but it's a great way for everyone to be present in the moment and enjoy it.

My Five fave places for winter walks in Burlington

• Ethan Allen Homestead: Once the snow hits, the park is a great spot to find animal tracks. If you like beavers, they've recently taken over an area right off the drive between the south parking lot and the main parking lot (in front of the homestead museum/education center). Dams and downed trees are everywhere.
• Derway Island Nature Preserve: This hidden gem is right next to the Burlington Wastewater Plant on North Avenue. The cove is mere steps from the parking lot, flat and fascinating in every season. Just keep in mind it is surrounded on three sides by water.
• Intervale Sea Caves at Arthur Park: A stone's throw from North Avenue, these caves — once rumored to contain buried treasure — become accessible by foot once Long Pond freezes over. The only drawback is the steep downhill trail to get there, which becomes icy around the same time. You will most likely need spikes or traction cleats to get down.
• Ethan Allen Park: This park has it all: a playground; big rock walls; plenty of short, easy trails through the forest to get lost in; and a 40-foot-tall tower that is closed in winter but still impressive.
• Your neighborhood: Walking straight out the front door is as easy as it gets and helps kiddos get a better sense of their community. It can be fun to name specific routes based on things you notice or experience during the walk.