WinterKids’ vision is that all kids are healthy and fit because they are outdoors, active, and having fun in the winter– and year-round. Check out these great resources for families to keep yours healthy and active in any season!
Photo courtesy of WinterKids App Family Member, Deep Acharya, taken at Lost Valley Resort
WINTERKIDS’ WELCOME TO WINTER!
Welcome To Winter is our annual celebration of fun ways to stay active in winter. Originally created to welcome new Mainers to winter, the event has expanded to allow all members of the community to come and try out healthy ways to remain active outdoors during the winter months. This fun event is hosted by Lost Valley, and is free and open to the public!
PARTNER & OUTDOOR INDUSTRY RESOURCES
Websites
- National Geographic Family – Free e-access on tips to explore and learn as a family
- Mindfulmazing Shop – Free e-news and free downloadable pdfs for child mindfulness
- National Park Service – Children’s portal to the National Park Service
- USDA Kids’ Corner – Children’s nutritional info
- Go Noodle – Free online resources for kids and families to stay active and mindful with off-screen family activities, arts and crafts ideas, yoga, mindfulness exercises, and other movement activities.
- YOGAed – Free yoga classes, mindfulness and relaxation activities.
- National Public Radio Circle Round Podcast
- The CIAT Blog – Interactive Food Map
- Cosmic Kids – Yoga adventures, mindfulness, and relaxation strategies.
Mobile Apps (FREE)
- WinterKids App – Free & Discounted discounted winter sports and outdoor recreation opportunities across Maine & New Hampshire
- AllTrails App – Database of trail maps, which includes crowdsourced reviews and images.
- Calm App – For improving sleep, decreasing stress and anxiety, and improving mood and self-esteem.
- MindfulgNATs App – Mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation videos.
- Sleep Meditations for Kids – (iOS App) Offers four bedtime stories that are transformed into guided meditations designed to promote relaxation and contentment.
Mental Health Resources
- Health Affiliates of Maine – (Ph: 1-877-888-4304) Parents can make referrals for themselves or their children for therapy and case management services.
- Community Health and Counseling Services – (Ph: 1-800-924-0366) Offers therapy or case management services located in Augusta, Bangor, Caribou, Dover-Foxcroft, Ellsworth, Houlton, Lincoln, Machias, Skowhegan, Sojourn, and Westbrook.
- Maine Behavioral Healthcare – (Ph: 1-844-292-0111) Offers individual, family, and group therapy services with offices located in Belfast, Biddeford, Brunswick, Damariscotta, Farmington, Norway, Portland, Rockland, and Springvale.
- Tri-County Mental Health Services – (Ph: 1-888-304-4673 (HOPE)) Offers a variety of mental health services including individual, family, and group therapy, case management, and med management.
- United Ways of Maine – (Ph: 211) Locate local services and programs that help with things such as food, housing, mental health, crisis, child development, education, health, and more.
- Psychology Today – This covers the state of Maine, and allows you to search for a therapist near you.
- Maine Statewide 24/7 Crisis Hotline – (Ph: 1-888-568-1112 (Voice) or 711 (Maine Relay)) Helps to stabilize individuals and families while assisting in crisis resolution and action planning. If you are concerned about yourself or about somebody else, call the 24-hour crisis hotline and speak with a trained crisis clinician who can connect you to the closest crisis center.
- Intentional 24/7 Warm Line – (Ph: 1.866.771.9276 (WARM)) Peer to peer recovery-focused conversations.
- National 24/7 Suicide Prevention Lifeline – (Ph: 1-800-273-8255) National network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
- G.E.A.R. Parent Network – (Ph: 1-800-264-9224) Provide critical support to parents/caregivers and families who may otherwise be isolated and overwhelmed dealing with a child’s emotional and behavioral struggles. They empower parents and families by offering parent-to-parent support, advocacy, education, and meaningful participation in all aspects of the services children and families receive.
- Inner Health Studio – Provides coping skills, relaxation information, guided meditation, and visualization scripts.
- Therapist Aid – Provides education on anxiety, anger, depression, and relaxation, coping skills, art therapy activities, mindfulness and gratitude building ideas, and more.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Information on mental health, impact of COVID-19, and helpful resources.
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America – Information on anxiety, depression, and coronavirus and its impact on mental health, helpful strategies and coping skills for managing stress.
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – information on anxiety, depression, stress, impact of COVID-19, tips on transitioning children back to school, children and school resource center
Maine Outdoor Places to Play
- Land for Maine’s Future (https://landformainesfuture.org/)
- Maine Land Trust Network (https://www.mltn.org/trusts/alphabetical/)
- Trust for Public Land (https://www.tpl.org/our-work/maine)
- Maine State Parks (https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/)
- Maine Trail Finder (https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/)
New Hampshire Outdoor Places to Play
Trails and natural areas in New Hampshire, most offering free public access (some State Parks charge a nominal entrance fee). Find hundreds of places to play across the state by visiting the websites below.
- New Hampshire Land Trust Coalition (https://nhltc.org/find-land-trust)
- Lakes Region Conservation Trust (https://lrct.org/explorelearn/places-to-visit/)
- Trust for Public Land (https://www.tpl.org/our-work/new-hampshire)
- New Hampshire State Parks (https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit)
Activities for Kids
- MOVE. LEARN. EXPLORE. with WinterKids – Free activity outlines to keep your kids active year-round!
- The WinterKids App offers discounts on outdoor fun in Maine & New Hampshire
- Macaroni Kid Featuring kid-friendly events and activities.
- Portland Kids Calendar The parents’ help desk for all things fun in Greater Portland.
Child Safety
- 7 Steps to a Backyard Playground for Kids – Advice to make the best use of your yard for your kids.
- Bicycle Safety Issues – Teach your kids the rules of the road.
- Parents Guide to First Aid – Safety and first aid tips for parents.
- Winter Weather: Dressing for the Cold – Dress your kids safely so they may enjoy the winter.
- Swimming: Home Pool Safety – Advice from the Red Cross on maintaining a safe environment around your swimming pool.
Health Organizations
- Alliance For A Healthier Generation A catalyst for children’s health working with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to transform the conditions and systems that lead to healthier kids.
- Let’s Go! A nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program implemented throughout Maine.
- We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight.
- Children & Nature Network A collection of free toolkits, reports, infographics and advocacy tools is designed to help you or your organization connect children, families and communities to nature.
Outdoor Organizations
- Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Chapter America’s oldest conservation and recreation organization.
- Bike Coalition of Maine The statewide voice of cyclists, leading the effort to make Maine better for biking.
- L.L Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools Book summer courses to learn archery, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and more!
- Maine Division of Public Parks and Lands Protecting and managing the natural and cultural resources of Maine.
- Maine Recreation and Park Association Working to increase recreational opportunities and promote a healthy lifestyle for Maine citizens of all ages.
- Rippleffect Promoting youth development and leadership through adventure, healthy communities and living sustainably.
- Sail Maine A non-profit organization formed to support sailing in Maine at the community level.
- Ski Maine Association Representing the alpine and Nordic ski industry of Maine.
- Snowlink Resources, websites and links to programs that help get kids interested in snow sports, and out on the slopes!
- Susan Curtis Foundation: Camp Susan Curtis
- Teens to Trails
Share your active outdoor learning adventures on social using the hashtag:
#ImAWinterKid
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Presented by Hannaford Snack Pals. Watch as April Byron, a nutritionist at Hannaford, walks you through how to combine different food groups to make a healthy snack!
One of the best tools to get your kids moving is music that inspires them to dance! In the classroom, at home, in the yard, on the trail, wherever – here is a great winter playlist to help you and your kids move, learn and explore.
This easy-to-make Vegetable Soup recipe is ripped straight from the pages of our Guide to Active Outdoor Learning for Pre-K, and is a great way to warm up when the weather is chilly! Let the kids do all the heavy lifting!
WinterKids is offering a virtual training to go alongside the WinterKids Preschool Guide to Outdoor Active Learning, aligned to Maine Early Learning Development Standards with 8 weeks of study that include active, outdoor lessons for preschoolers.
Download, print, and cut these 8 autumn fun puzzles for preschoolers. In addition to the benefits of working on a puzzle, these can be great for vocabulary development and may spark an interest in getting outside!
The seasons are changing, and Mother Nature is putting on a show, but you’ve got to get outside in order to see it! We’ve put together a fall playlist with 18 songs that will help inspire your kids to move, learn and explore! These songs are great for backyard play, dancing in the living room and more! Enjoy!
This “Blizzard Snack” is ripped straight from the pages of our Guide to Outdoor Active Learning, and is a great way to beat the heat with a healthy treat this summer! Let the kids do all the heavy lifting, and just make sure there’s an adult present to turn on the blender.
Looking for something new to liven up these long summer days? We’ve put together a summer playlist with 52 songs that will help inspire your kids to move, learn and explore! These songs are great for backyard play, dancing in the living room and more! Enjoy!
These fruit & veggie “sushi” roll-ups are fun to make, and even more fun to eat! Whether you have adventurous or picky eaters, this is a great way to get them to try a little something new, along with something already familiar. Making this healthy snack together is fun for the whole family!
Animal Action Cards are a fun and simple way to incorporate nature-based learning with movement. We’ve included 15 animals in this set of action cards – just a few of the many animals that you can find during spring in our Maine wetlands. We hope this activity also sparks an interest in exploring wetlands and learning more about these important habitats.
These banana popsicles are easy to make and require just three ingredients. They’re a fun, delicious, and healthy treat that kids of any age can make for themselves!
Winter may be over, but outdoor learning happens in all seasons. WinterKids has launched a virtual training to go alongside our Preschool Guide to Outdoor Active Learning (GOAL) and for a limited time, teachers can get both the training and the GOAL binder for FREE.
Print, laminate, and cut these 9 customizable spring recreation picture puzzles for preschoolers. In addition to the benefits of working on a puzzle, these can be great for vocabulary development and may spark an interest in getting outside!
Our WinterKids Spring Playlist includes music for moving, learning, and exploring throughout the spring season. This playlist is great for backyard play, dancing in the living room, road tripping, yoga, and more! Enjoy!
In this nature-based art activity, students will learn more about trees, then choose something they love about winter in Maine and illustrate it on their tree cookie!
In this activity, students will conduct an experiment in order to find which solid melts the fastest: snow or ice. Many thanks to the 2nd Grade teachers at Helen Thompson School in West Gardiner, Maine for sharing this great activity guide during the 2020 WinterKids Winter Games!
In this activity, students make volcanoes with snow and a few other ingredients. While creating their volcanoes, they will explore the states of matter – including solids, liquids, and gasses! Thank you to the wonderful teams of teachers from: Glenburn Elementary in Glenburn, Maine, Bay Ridge Elementary in Cutler, Maine, and Dr. Levesque Elementary in Frenchville, Maine, that contributed to this activity during the 2020 WinterKids Winter Games!