There’s “Snow” Time Like Winter for Getting Active Outdoors!

We know that our energy consumption goes up in the winter. Between heating our homes, needing lights more hours per day because of shorter days, and plugging in our cars so they start in the cold weather, we use a lot of energy in the winter! One important way to save energy and improve our health and well-being is to get outside as often as possible. Winter Walk Day is a reason to go for a walk, ski or snowshoe adventure! It’s good for both our health and our power bills! You can choose any day in February to host a Winter Walk Day.

Cape Breton schools are finding lots of great ways to get students outside and having fun in the winter.

Cape Smokey Elementary students go snowshoeing once a week after school. The grade P-2 classes went skating last week and the grade 3-5 classes went cross country skiing at North Highlands Nordic. If you haven’t been up to North Highlands Nordic before, it’s well worth the drive to Cape North. There are 12 km of groomed trails, a warming room, and ski and snowshoe rentals. Not to mention great winter conditions this year!

Boularderie Elementary students were disappointed last year when there wasn’t enough snow to use their new classroom set of snowshoes. This year there is more than enough snow to make up for it! They tried out the new snowshoes for the first time this week. There were smiles and rosy cheeks all around!

Marion Bridge Elementary School received a ReconciliACTion grant to work with Mi’kmaq artist Albert Marshall to make traditional work sleighs called ‘waqaskiaq’. The kids had fun sawing and carrying logs to build the sleighs. 

Robin Foote Elementary students love sledding on their awesome hill. Last year the school purchased toboggans for students to use during recess. What fun!

Want to get outside but don’t have snowshoes? This list from Hike NS shows places that rent or lend snowshoes around the province. Tourism Cape Breton has a list of snowshoe trails around the island. You might even recognize a familiar Green Schools face in their video!

Check out our Green Schools Winter Adventures video to get some ideas for activities to do in the snow, including snow painting and maple candy. What is your favourite winter activity to do with your class? Share your stories and photos with the Green Schools Nova Scotia community!

~Shandel Brown
Engagement Office Cape Breton