I taught in Michigan before moving to North Carolina to work for The Mailbox®. One of my southern coworkers once asked, “What did you do for recess on days when there was snow?” She seemed surprised when I told her we went out for recess every day unless the wind chill was more suitable for polar animals than children. It’s Michigan…if we don’t go outside when there’s snow, we would never go outside!
Going out for recess every day in the snow inevitably caused problems with students throwing snowballs:
“But I didn’t throw it at anyone.”
“But I just threw it up in the air!”
“But I didn’t mean to hit him with it.”
Throwing is a good gross-motor skill—so I say let them throw snowballs but give them appropriate targets! Get a vinyl tablecloth that has large pictures on it and attach it to a fence or other structure in your recess area. Then invite students to make snowballs and throw them at the images on the tablecloth. This snowball throwing is both safe and fun!
