A survival guide for those long winter nights
Most of us are a few steps removed from the primal urge to harvest food to survive the long winter, but there’s something about the turning of the seasons that brings out a desire to feather the nest, stock the larder, batten down the hatches. The crock pot calls to us; we start hankering for warming spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Cozy blankets take up their yearly residence on the couch, ready for a night-time snuggle. The fading light outside tells us it’s time to think about settling in for the winter. We sigh with satisfaction … until suddenly those long, dark nights seem to loom over us — what to do, what to do?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Game Night
Learn (or re-learn) some classic card games, or take up a game of backgammon, chess, checkers, or cribbage. You might be amazed at how quickly your kids learn them, so beware. Pull out the board games in the back of the closet and set them up for a marathon challenge. (Warning: You don’t really know someone until they own all of the hot properties and they start setting up hotels left and right. Cue evil chuckle.) If you’re bored with the games in your own cupboard, try a game exchange with another family. Maybe you’ll stumble on a new favorite, just in time for Santa’s journey down the chimney.
Cooking
Pull out some cookbooks and select some new recipes to try. Make a game of it: anyone for international flair night? Tour the world from your kitchen table, one bite at a time. Kids are often more willing to eat food they’ve helped prepare or choose, so you might discover some new taste sensations. Another idea is to flip through some old family favorites and try them anew. There’s probably a casserole recipe your mom made years ago that you’d almost forgotten about, or a cookie recipe from your grandma that just brings back all kinds of good memories. (Or not. Did anyone else try the raisins in the meatloaf in the 1970s?) Let the stories flow.
Photo Albums
In this digital image age, kids are amazed to see actual photos in actual photo albums. Pull out some oldies but goodies and let the stories begin (“Did you really wear your hair like that, Mom?”) Do you have other memorabilia that you packed up in boxes, like record albums, concert tees, and elementary school report cards? Prepare for a good laugh. Memory Lane is a long and winding road. Take a peek at the older files you have on the computer and see how much your kids have grown — remember when all those teeth were missing?
Books
There’s nothing cozier than reading aloud a wonderful story, letting imaginations run wild. Try some old favorites like the “Little House” series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, or “Peter Pan,” by J.M. Barrie, and see what discoveries they lead you to find. Let the kids’ questions and interests guide you about what to explore further — history, geography, myths, whatever takes their fancy. If you prefer, there are great selections of books on CDs at the library — let the words wash over you, too. Be sure to set up enough time for the inevitable begging to hear “just one more” chapter.
Puzzles
It may seem old-fashioned, but having a puzzle to work on might be a soothing activity for the whole family. Side by side or solo, fitting pieces together to make a bigger picture gives us satisfaction. It can be a great way to have conversations with kids, too, especially those difficult-to-crack teens.
Hobbies
Think back to what you used to do when you were footloose and fancy-free. Did you knit or crochet? Tinker with model cars? Maybe it’s time to introduce these to your kids, or rediscover them for yourself. Seeing you enjoy something may spark an interest in discovering a hobby of their own.
Movie Night
Get everybody in their jammies, pop some popcorn and turn down the lights, it’s movie night. Stack some comfy pillows on the floor or pile into bed together to watch something silly or fun. Maybe it’s a movie adaptation of a book you’ve just read — “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” or “The Wizard of Oz” — or maybe it’s something new that the kids clamored to see. It doesn’t matter; the memories will be built around the togetherness.
Enjoy the last of the lingering daylight, but don’t worry about the coming darkness. There’s plenty to do to fill the long hours between dinner and bedtime. And the best part is you’ll be storing up memory banks, too.
