Things To Do Outdoors With Your Kids in Georgia This Winter
Are you and your children feeling cooped up in the house this winter? Get out and explore some of the great outdoor activities available in Georgia!
Are you and your family struggling with some cabin fever this winter? Get yourself and your kids out of the house this winter by exploring some fun outdoor things to do in Georgia!
Ice Skating
What better way to spend the day outdoors with your kids than on a skating rink? In Georgia, and especially Atlanta, many outdoor skating rinks are always surrounded by holiday and winter festivities for a family-friendly and fun atmosphere.
There are many great rinks to choose from, but everyone should experience the Atlantic Station skating rink, the largest outdoor skating rink in the city. This street-level rink lets skaters glide between buildings and see Atlantic Station like never before. Other outdoor rinks in the Atlanta area include:
- Skate the Sky
- The Rink at Park Tavern
- The Ice Rink at Sugar Hill
- Olde Town on Ice
Fishing Trip
Do you and your kids love spending days by the water baiting hooks and reeling in fish? Consider putting together a family fishing trip! In many parts of the country, fishing in winter means ice fishing. But in Georgia, there are still plenty of open rivers and lakes teeming with fish for anglers of all ages to catch.
Winter is also a great time to introduce young kids to fly fishing as the usual spots aren’t as busy, and parents can take their time teaching their children. There are plenty of spots in Northern Georgia ideal for fly fishing, like the Toccoa and Chattahoochee rivers.
Sledding & Tubing
If you’re looking for classic winter fun, going to a sledding hill is one of the best things to do outdoors with your kids in Georgia! The most popular hill for years was Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park, but it’s unfortunately been canceled for the 2022–2023 seasons.
However, there are still plenty of other great sledding and tubing hills for families to enjoy! These include Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Blue Square at Bobby Jones Golf Course, and The Green Circle at Freedom Park.
Hiking or Biking Trip
Do you want to get out into nature with your kids for a day? There’s no better place to do that than at Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson! Whether you want to take a family biking trip or hike among nature, Dauset has a trail that offers the experience you’re looking for.
Within the Dauset Nature Center are a host of animals, common and exotic, from foxes to birds and even bears! This rehabilitation center turned wildlife refuge is the perfect activity for nature-loving families and an excellent opportunity to get your kids interested in the great outdoors and the animals who inhabit it.
references
- Importance of Outdoor Physical Activity: Outdoor physical activities are crucial for children’s health, including cardiovascular fitness and overall health status. However, barriers such as lack of resources and knowledge, health concerns, and cultural issues can impact families’ ability to engage in these activities, especially among immigrant communities (Rothe et al., 2010).
- Benefits of Outdoor Physical Training: Outdoor physical training in winter is beneficial, enhancing respiratory and circulatory functions, and playing a key role in disease prevention and psychological stability (Cherkashina & Samokhin, 2019).
- Active Outdoor Play for Healthy Development: Access to active play in nature is essential for healthy child development. This includes improving children’s opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in various settings (Tremblay et al., 2015).
- Enhancing Children’s Health Through Nature and Outdoor Activity: Outdoor unstructured play and time spent in natural environments are important for combating childhood obesity and other health disparities, contributing to mental and physical health benefits (McCurdy et al., 2010).
- Outdoor Play and Seasonal Variations: Children’s outdoor play varies across seasons and localities. In places like New Zealand, seasonal ‘appropriateness’ and local beliefs impact outdoor play, affecting children’s environmental literacy and potential health gains (Ergler et al., 2013).
