Winter gives us a choice: We can hunker down and ride it out, or we can embrace it! Our friends at Hyland’s understand the importance of keeping kids active and eating well so they stay healthy. And we wanted to share our healthy hacks—simple and easy ideas to keep kids healthy all winter long.

Keep Everyone Active!

Bundle the kids up and go exploring. It’s important to invest in good outdoor gear so kids stay comfortable, but that can be expensive! We’ve had good luck at secondhand stores or mom-to-mom online sites. - Kathryn

If the kids can get outside almost every day, I think it helps them stay healthy and strong (and Mom and Dad, too). Maybe it’s taking the dog for a walk as a family or maybe it’s raking leaves and jumping in them. Sometimes it’s just a walk around the neighborhood to see if you can spot something new or different. Really, it’s anything to get outside for a little bit each day. - Barb

When outside, try activities that will keep kids engaged. I have two girls who weren’t super active. So we would do things like a scavenger hunt for leaves, pinecones, acorns, and small rocks, and “painting” snow using colored water in spray bottles. - Rose

Move Indoors

We like getting the parents and kids dancing together—crank up the tunes, lower the lights, and show your kids that you still have the moves. Kids get their bodies moving and have a good laugh at the same time. - Leslie

We’ve done indoor snowball fights using cotton balls. It’s fun to do this to music—something upbeat for the full-on “fight,” followed by a slow, soothing song so children can wind down. - Rose

Have Fun With Food

To encourage my kids to get their daily dose of vitamins in the winter, we stick googly eyes on everything, from bananas and clementines to cucumbers! - Kerri

Load up on vitamins with a healthy smoothie. Since good fresh fruit is hard to come by in the winter, use frozen instead. The quality is good for a smoothie and the cost of frozen fruit is cheaper. - Leslie

Be a Stickler for Hygiene

Wash your hands when you come in the house. - Holly

Keep a hand sanitizer right next to the tissues to help kids remember to use it. - Leslie

We attach an empty tissue box to a full one with a rubber band. We’ve taught our kids to discard used tissues in the empty box. - Shannon

Be Prepared

We do everything we can to stay healthy but I also know the kids will inevitably come down with a fever at some point over the winter. Running out to the pharmacy at midnight in my pajamas isn’t good for my physical or mental health, so now I prepare. I keep medication for fevers and coughs at the ready. I also put a jar of applesauce with it as that’s how we mix it for the kids. - Kathryn

As a mom, I know my best attempts at keeping my kids healthy may not be enough. I stock up early on a few homeopathic remedies for cold and flu with natural ingredients. Our friends at Hyland’s have remedies designed just for kids: Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ʼn Mucus, Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ʼn Cough, and Hyland’s 4 Kids Complete Cold ʼn Flu for the winter seasons. - Laura

Here are a few extra tips from our SchoolFamily moms!