Cabin Fever Cures
For many of us, by mid-February, the giddiness of the first snowfall has lost its glimmer, prompting us to start counting down the days of what can feel like an eternal winter. Combine that winter restlessness with our children’s impending February break and a good case of cabin fever quickly sets in for the entire family.
But, we all know the best cure for cabin fever, right?
Venturing outside for a little fresh air and exercise, despite the cold, truly is the best antidote to the winter blues. So, in an effort to encourage you and your family to try something new outside this month, we’ve compiled a list of family friendly activities to help you get through… or even better, embrace… the winter season in all of its cold, but majestic beauty.
Grab Your Snow Tubes
Sledding is one of the most inexpensive and easiest ways to get everyone outdoors, especially if you have little kids. While there are many small, local parks with great sledding hills, the best larger hills can be found at Como Park (Lancaster), Elma Meadows, Akron Falls, Sprague Brook Park, Beaver Island and Chestnut Ridge.
Como Park, Chestnut Ridge and Elma Meadows offer heated casinos and indoor restrooms which, speaking from experience, can make or break an outing with little ones who often need a break from the cold and snow. A thermos of hot cocoa, along with a quick snack, is essential for a kid favorite afternoon, so make sure to pack them with your gloves and hats.
If you want to try something a little higher speed, and don’t mind the ride, Holiday Valley Tubing in Ellicottville is a fully equipped tubing park with 22 lanes that are 900 feet long and boast a 100-foot vertical drop. Their brand new conveyor belt lift means you get to hop on at the bottom with your tube and glide to the top of the mountain (think airport conveyor belt, but outside). The park includes a Little Tubers area for small children, as well as a warming hut at the base of the hill with a fireplace, snack bar and restrooms.
The park is open Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30pm-9:30pm, Saturdays from 11am-9pm, and Sundays from 11am-6pm. There will be extended hours during the February break. Check the website for details.
Get Your Skates On
Whether you’re steady on skates or not, ice-skating is a relatively inexpensive way to get everyone outdoors. And, honestly, letting your kids watch you stumbling around the rink on skates will make for great laughs and memories.
For outdoor skating, Canalside has become one of the area’s top destinations. Given that their expanded activities list now includes curling, ice bikes, and ice bumper cars, at least one annual trip to Canalside is a must. Skate rentals are available, as well as traditional metal skate aids, but for the youngest members of your group the new penguin skate aids are the cutest thing around. Check their website for activity hours (which are extended during winter break).
Rotary Rink is another downtown skating option, which offers a slightly smaller and more intimate space. While Canalside is a ton of fun, it can sometimes feel overwhelming depending on your kid’s personalities and ages, making Rotary Rink, which is completely free of charge if you bring your own skates, a good alternative.
The Healthy Zone Rink located in East Aurora is an outdoor rink with a pavilion-style overhead covering, offering the experience of outdoor skating with some protection from the wind and snow. The rink offers open public skating on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7-8:45pm. and Sundays from 1pm-2:20pm, with additional daytime hours during February break. They also offer rentals and skate sharpening on site.
The following parks also offer outdoor skating rinks, but do not have skate rentals: Akron Falls Park, Lewiston Academy Park and Como Lake Park.
Take a Hike With Boots or Snowshoes
While many of us include hiking on our summer recreation bucket list, it is often overlooked in the winter. Yet, many of our local parks and nature trails boast scenery just as beautiful and exquisitely unique during the winter months. While it is true that much of the wildlife is sleeping, and most of the trees have shed their leaves, the lack of natural distraction allows you to see further and notice details you might not otherwise see.
If you’re looking for an event that gives a birds eye view of outdoor winter activities Reinstein Woods’ annual Winter Wonderland on February 2nd is a great place to start. The event, which runs from 12pm-4pm, includes an ice fishing demo, nature crafts, snow art, a Wildlife Winter Survival Hike, and opportunities for children and adults to try on snowshoes and cross country skis free of charge.
Both Reinstein and Tifft Nature Preserve offer snowshoe rentals during the entire winter season for kids and adults, which is a fun way to take a winter hike when there is snow on the ground. Because the snowshoe distributes your body weight over a wider area, you are able to walk on top of the snow instead of having your foot sink in with each step. Kids are always excited to realize they can walk on the snow, and the snowshoes allow you to explore nature trails that would otherwise be cumbersome with traditional shoes.
Check each park’s website for their education center hours and snowfall hours before going to be sure snowshoes are available to rent.
Cross-Country Skiing for the Family
Reinstein Woods is also a great place to try cross-country skiing, especially if you need to rent skis. They have a limited number of adult and youth skis available, so they suggest calling ahead. Winter rental hours are Monday-Friday from 9am-4:30pm, and Saturdays from 1pm-4:30pm.
Another great option for cross-country skiing, especially if you need rentals or want to try a lesson, is Byrncliff Golf Resort in Varysburg (about 35 minutes south of Buffalo). Byrncliff is one of just a few local places that have groomed cross-country ski trails, rentals, and lessons. They boast 12 miles of trails, five of which stay lit for evening ski hours, and are open Sunday-Wednesday from 9am-5pm, and Thursday-Saturday from 9am-9pm.
If you own cross-country skis, many local parks permit cross- country skiing including Como Lake Park, Akron Falls, Elma Meadows (which does groom their trails), and Chestnut Ridge.
Try Hot Cocoa Somewhere New!
When all else fails and you simply need to get out of the house, but don’t feel like bundling everyone up for outdoor activities, create your own hot cocoa outing. There are dozens of small bakeries and coffee shops in our local communities that, in the busyness of life, we often pass right by.
Be intentional this month to jot down the names of one or two of them while you’re out so that when everyone is looking for something to do during winter break you know just where to go for a fresh baked treat and something warm to drink.
You could even consider doing a quick online search for “conversation starters,” print out a list of questions, and throw them in your pocket. Good conversation goes a long way on a cold winter day, and seems to be a good skill to practice in our cell phone crazy culture.
Lisa Littlewood is a freelance writer who lives in Lancaster, N.Y. with her husband and three girls who are 11, 10, and 5. She loves to run, try new restaurants, and ski with her family when they can squeeze it in!