Low Effort Snow Activities

It is our second snow day this week in St. Louis, so I thought it would be fun to share some low-effort snow activities! These were relatively easy to set up and we had all the items on hand at home. I hope these can offer some fun ideas to enjoy the snow as a family. 

Snow Volcano

We filled a Mason jar with 2 cups of vinegar. Then, we added red food coloring to the vinegar to make some red lava! My kids created a “snow volcano” by burying the Mason jar with snow , while still leaving the top visible. After there was enough snow around the jar, we added in one cup of baking sosa to the top of the jar. Shortly after, it bubbled up and we had red lava! 

Maple Syrup Candy

This was a new one for us this year! We heated up maple syrup (or honey with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar). After about 5 minutes (when it was very hot and bubbly), we quick walked outside and poured it on a pile of snow! My girls then took a popsicle stick and touched the mixture. They rolled it around in the snow to make their own candy pop! 

Decorate a Snow Castle

We make different jars of food coloring and water. Then, we poured the different colors into silicone molds. After the hearts froze, we then took them outside to decorate a snow castle in the yard!

Snow Paint

With the “paint mixtures” (food coloring and water), we went out into our yard. We dipped paint brushes into the jars and then splattered the paint on the snow! This was a fun way to add some color on the snow. 

Snow Ice Cream

Here is the recipe that we have used over the years: 

1.) 1 cup of milk (we used whole milk, but you can use any kind).

2.) 1/3 cup of granulated sugar

3.) 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

4.) 6-8 cups of clean and fresh snow

5.) Any sprinkles, whipped cream or toppings!

This warms up very quickly when we start mixing things together, so I usually end up refreezing it in our freezer to firm it up before eating. It is not my favorite tasting, ha! But, my girls just love it, so that makes it all worth it!

Look for Animal Tracks

This is a favorite of ours! We love to look for animal tracks on fresh fallen snow. We back up to woods, so taking a binoculars or magnifying glass and watching for animals and their tracks is a favorite past time. 

Happy exploring the snow! The warmer weather will be here before we know it, so here’s to having fun in the snow. 

Top 5 Family Nature Activities

Camping as a family is my favorite family activity. It really encourages us to have time focused on each other, by removing other distractions we may have at home. 

Here are five fun nature activities to do as a family, and they are quick and easy to bring along on a camping trip. 

Table of Contents

We camped in our new tent from White Duck Outdoors! We love it.

Nature Bracelet

Take masking tape and attach it to a child’s wrist inside out (so sticky side out). 

Explore the trail together and pick leaves, berries or flowers to stick on the tape. My kids love creating patterns on their bracelets or try to create a bracelet all green or all red, depending on the season we are in. 

Have fun creating a nature bracelet! You can even put another piece of tape on the bracelet to “laminate” it. 

Paint Sample Scavenger Hunt

We went to Home Depot and picked out paint samples that are in the color of nature. I like to choose greens, browns, tans (or reds and oranges in fall). 

Next, I took a hole puncher and punched holes in the paint sample sheets. 

My kids enjoy looking through the holes in the samples to match different shades of color in nature. They also like to place the paint samples on the ground and find leaves or items in nature and lay them on the paint colors. 

This is such a fun activity, especially with the changing colors of the seasons!

Leaf Animals

With it now being fall, there are plenty of leaves around to make art! We love looking for all different shapes and colors. We love searching the trails or campground collecting leaves and then come back to our tarp and try to make animals, like elephants, bears, lions or turtles. 

I did a Google search for “leaf animals” and then printed out some ideas for inspiration for my kids. I think it helped them to visualize some animals before creating their own. 

Credit: blog.teacollection.com

Leaf Bookmarks

My husband gave me a laminator one year for Christmas and it has been the best gift over the years with the amount of time we have spent using it! My laminator is lightweight and easy to bring on camping trips. On our most recent camping trip, we made leaf bookmarks! My kids picked leaves and flowers that stood out to them, then rearranged them on the laminating sheet. We have also laminated leaves, cut them off and created a leaf garland!

Campfire Orange Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This was a big hit on our most recent camping trip! We hollowed out oranges and filled them with cinnamon roll dough. Then, we wrapped the orange in tin foil and placed it next to the campfire. We kept it there for 5 minutes and rotated the orange for another 5 minutes until the cinnamon roll was fully cooked. The cinnamon roll has some flavor of orange and is so tasty!

A little more about our new tent: We have the 16.5′ Avalon Bell Tent through White Duck Outdoors. The first time we saw this tent was in 2022 at a local state park. It was November and we were staying in a cabin. But, we watched in awe as a family set up their White Duck Outdoors tent and even put up a woodburning stove in there! We asked for a peek inside and were completely enamored with these tents. We are over the moon to have one of own now. We camped with it for the first time this past weekend and just LOVE it. It is durable, spacious and has great height to easily stand up and walk around. We are excited to do winter camping next with the woodburning stove! 

Camping and being outside in nature really is such a blast and a great way to build more family memories. What are your favorite fall activities? 
 
Happy exploring!

A Weekend in Murphysboro

Just 2 hours from St. Louis is a complete hidden gem! Not only is Murphysboro surrounded by beautiful family-friendly hiking trails, but their food scene is nationally recognized. We had such a wonderful time exploring this area that was new-to-us. 

Here is our weekend itinerary from our visit. As a reference, my kids are 7yo, 5yo, 3yo and 9 months old. 

Where we stayed: 

Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Murphysboro

Address: 120 Muddy Monster Road, Murphysboro, IL 62966

We stayed in a Queen Suite room that had two Queen beds and a pull-out couch. Free breakfast and free chocolate chip cookies when you check in! There was also a nice indoor swimming pool and workout center. Note: make sure to bring a pack n’ play if you need one. There was plenty of space in our room to fit our portable crib!

Day 1:

We left our house after lunch and drove past Murphysboro to explore a state park that has been on our list for ages. 

Stop 1: Ferne Clyffe State Park

Address:  Rte. #37, Goreville, IL 62939

This park has been on our list for ages! The rock formations and shelter caves, it started to rain. We had heard that the Big Rocky Hollow Trail has a waterfall when there is a lot of rain. It was .3 miles to the waterfall on a flat and on a wide path…and the waterfall was flowing! We were blown away by this beautiful area. There was a side trail off to the left as you are walking towards the waterfall. If you keep following this trail up the bluffs, it will take you right behind the falls. 

Stop 2: Dinner at 17th Street BBQ

Address:  32 N. 17th St., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Murphysboro was proclaimed the “Barbecue Capital of Illinois” by the State Legislature in 2014. There is just so much history here, thanks to Mike Mills. Mike was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020 and has won world recognition. We went there for dinner and have never had a better barbecue dinner. Period. Those ribs are life-changing!! I’m still dreaming about the loaded potato skins with brisket! They make their own root beer here with honey, which is delicious. 

Mike’s daughter, Amy Mills, and her trusted crew continue to build the legacy and carry on Mike’s work. Amy opened a barbecue sauce factory around the corner from 17th Street. She also opened Faye’s Cafe two years ago (named after Mike’s mom and Amy’s grandma). I think this food legacy really added to our experience in Murphysboro!

Day 2: 

Stop 1: Faye’s Cafe

This cafe is located inside of the oldest car dealership in town, and I just love the renovations that give nods to the automotive industry throughout the design. There are coffee, breakfast, lunch and gourmet grocery items all under one roof! We loved sitting outside around the fire pits in the nice patio area. My favorite menu item was the Eggs Benedict with brisket (from the 17th Street Barbecue). My girls’ favorite item was the homemade French toast sticks!

Stop 2: Pomona Natural Bridge

Address: Natural Bridge Rd, Pomona, IL 62975

This trail is just .3 miles from the scenic natural bridge. I think that it is SO cool how you actually walk across the bridge on this trail before you climb underneath the 90 foot long formation. My kids loved walking under the bridge and looking for animal tracks. The trails in this area are so reasonable in length You don’t have to hike far to have some awesome views! After our hike, we ate lunch at a picnic table near the trailhead. We packed lunch with us from Faye’s (we had yummy BLT sandwiches and salads). No restrooms at this trailhead. 

Stop 3: Little Grand Canyon

Address: 346 Etherton Rd., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Just 20 minutes from the Pomona Natural Bridge is this beautiful trail and overlook. It is just 1.1 miles to a gorgeous view of the canyon. We rested at the bench while taking in the sight! From here, you can continue on the loop (where you go down into the canyon). We turned around and walked back the way we came. I really enjoyed this trail! There are restrooms at this trailhead. 

Stop 4: Milieur Orchard 

Address: 1-72 Mileur Orchard Rd., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Lisa and Howard own this beautiful orchard in Murphysboro. 3 generations of being an orchard! The land has been in their family since the 1850s. There is a U-Pick for apples at the end of this month! Lisa took us into their massive walk-in fridge where they store the apples and peaches. My girls also sat on their forklift! We left the orchard with peach ice cream, apple cider donuts, apple crisp, peach pie and fresh apples and peaches. Everything was delicious and so tasty! There is nothing like fresh fruit!

Stop 5: Scratch Brewing Company 

Address: 264 Thompson Road, 62907

We ate dinner at Scratch Brewery. They have a great beer selection (we had a flight of beers) along with wood-fired pizzas. 90% of their ingredients are grown and foraged on the land. There is seating indoors (which is filled with bright and interesting designs) and outdoor covered seating around the property. Just a heads up, arrive here earlier in the evening to avoid a longer wait. Order your food at the bar and then you will receive a buzzer to know when your food is ready. 

Day 3: 

Stop 1: Breakfast at Faye’s

Another wonderful breakfast here!! I just can’t say enough great things about this cafe and its food and vibe. Highly recommend!

Stop 2: Geocaching 

What a great and fun activity! We used the free geocaching app. There is a location right behind some rocks at the General Logan Museum (General Logan was born here in Murphysboro). We walked through the small butterfly garden and learned some more information on General Logan too. He fought for equal rights for African Americans, especially after the Civil War. He also created Memorial Day as a National holiday!

Stop 3: Mural Walk

We went on a fun mural walk around the downtown area! We drove by 9 murals ranging from General Logan to books to deer! You can scan the QR code by these paintings to learn more behind each art piece too. 

Stop 4: Kinkaid Lake Marina

Address: 2069 Marina Road, Murphysboro, IL 62966

We rented a pontoon boat at Kinkaid Lake through Lake Stride, which I recommend! Kory was great. This lake is just outside Murphysboro. It is 2750 acres in size, has a shoreline of 82 miles and has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The Northwest portion of the lake is a no wake zone, which was perfect for dropping our anchor and jumping in the lake! There are no houses around the lake, which makes it so peaceful! There are some great cliffs for cliff jumping into the lake too. 

Thank you Southern Illinois Tourism for having us! Between the epic family-friendly hikes and the great food scene, we quickly became big fans of Murphysboro. We had such a blast and we can’t wait to return!