By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Playing in the snow is fun, but with the right snow toys, it’s even more fun.
Fortunately, snow toys abound to make your family’s foray into the snow the best time ever, from small children through teens.
• Outfit your snowman in its very best with the Dress Your Own Snowman kit (www.amazon.com, Item: 1131. $14.95). The kit includes buttons, coal eye and mouth pieces, carrot nose, and a pipe, all made from painted wood, plus a knit hat. The prongs on the back side of the pieces helps them stay securely pressed into the snowman.
Mini Sno Markers (www.amazon.com, Item: OC8338BL. $8.50) make snow play colorful. Write messages, draw or scribble colors in the snow. Recommended for children five an older, the squirty markers are refillable twice with the included powder mix for more coloring fun.
For more artsy expression, get the Ideal SNO Toys SNO Scapes Activity Set (www.amazon.com, Item: 400220-2. $17.95). Spray bright colors onto the snow to dress up a snow fort or snowman or use the enclosed stencils to make whimsical shapes.
Ideal Sno-Stompers (www.amazon,com, Item: 0C8-8327BL. $26.95) strap on right over children’s boots to leave animal prints bear or dinosaur — in their wake. While not actual snowshoes, the Stompers give kids aged 5 to 15 years the feel of Arctic explorers in their own backyard.
For smaller explorers, consider the Flexible Flyer Snow Prints Kids Foam Snowshoes (www.amazon.com, Item: F15. $19.95). Made for smaller children, the snowshoes make monster footprints to add to the fun. Since they are made of dense foam, they are lightweight yet sturdy. Simple elastic straps are easy on, easy off.
Lots of kids to entertain outside? Go for the Unplugged Explorers 6 pc. Ultimate Snow Toys kit (www.amazon.com, Item: B07KY1Z32N. $27.97.). It comes with a “scoot” style sled for one, snow brick mold, snow digger and two snowball Makers, plus a storage bag.
If your children are all about the snowball war, check out the Joyin Toy Snowball Maker (www.amazon.com, Item: B0773VJFZ4. $16.95). The hinged design allows users to scoop and pack a perfectly round snowball in one movement. The set of three comes with a storage bag.
Kids who love to build snow forts need the ESP Kid’s Snow and Sand Castle Play Kit (www.amazon.com, Item: 52051. $21.45). The polyresin molds help kids build perfect bricks and parapets for the corners and doorways. The kit comes with a child-sized shovel.
To sculpt a snow friend, try the Obecome Penguin Snow Mold SNO-Buddy Penguin (www.amazon.com, Item: B08JGJ29RL. $9.99). Just pack with snow and pop open the mold to make a penguin.
Bored with sleds? Try the LED Ski Skooter (www.amazon.com, Item: B00P8J6AN4. $49.99). For children and adults up to 220 lbs, the Skooter works both on sledding hills and flat ground. It features a LED light in the front and folds for storage.