Wintertime hula hoop fun
Hula hoops are popular during summer months, but since they are lightweight and easy to grasp (even with mittens on), they can also be explored during winter. Here are a few ideas that are sure to convince you to add them to your outdoor winter toy bin.
Active play with hula hoops
All you need to do is set a few colourful hula hoops on the ground, here and there throughout your yard. Children will automatically be drawn to them and therefore move around your yard to play with them.
Hula hoop snowmen accessories
Use small hula hoops to decorate the snowmen you make with your group. For example, you can set a small hula hoop on a snowman’s head to represent a hat. Another hula hoop can represent a necklace if you place it around its neck.
Hanging hula hoop target
Use a piece of elastic fabric to hang a hula hoop from a tree branch. Prepare several snowballs. Encourage older toddlers to throw the snowballs through the hula hoop. Variation: If you prefer, use actual balls instead of snowballs.
Snowballs and hula hoops
Help children roll small snowballs around the yard to make extra large snowballs. Set a hula hoop on each large snowball. Encourage children to move from one snowball to the next to explore the hula hoops.
The tunnel
Dig a hole in the snow and set a hula hoop in the hole, in an upright position. Pack snow over the bottom portion of the hula hoop. At the end of the day, water the snow and let it harden overnight. The next day, children will enjoy crawling through this simple tunnel.
Time to go inside!
Use hula hoops to make transitions more fun for your group. You can, for example, line them up on the ground to create a path that leads to your daycare entrance. Encourage children to hop from one hula hoop to the next as they make their way towards the door.
From the top of the hill
Find a small snow-covered hill or shovel snow to create your own in your yard. Set several hula hoops at the top of the hill. If the snow is packed and smooth, have fun rolling the hula hoops down the hill. Encourage children to follow the hula hoops down the hill repeatedly.
In my little house
Use hula hoops to represent tiny houses.
- Use them to encourage older toddlers to wait for their turn. For example, have each child sit inside a hula hoop to wait for his turn to slide down the hill.
- Use them to encourage children to move around simply by asking them to run or walk from one “house” to another.
- Invite each child to sit inside a hula hoop to eat a dry snack such as a cookie. Make sure children don’t have to take their mittens off to eat their snack.
Enjoy playing outside during winter!
Chantal Millette
Early childhood educator