Scott McGillivray’s Favourite Winter Activities With the Family

Whenever we get enough snow, the first thing my daughters run out and do is make snow angels. We can barely get them to put on their snow pants and hats before they’re taking off outside. They come by it honestly though. I used to do the exact same thing when I was their age. Sometimes I still do!

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One of the best things about our new house is that we have a decent size backyard. I took this video after our first big snowfall in the new house. The kids wanted to play and I needed a workout, so the dad sled race was born! Not gonna lie, my arms hurt pretty bad the next morning.

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Besides the size of the backyard, the other great thing is that we have a tiny little hill – perfect for sledding and teaching the kids to downhill ski. Layla was a little hesitant, but her big sister was all over it. Myah handled that slope like a pro. I might have to find something a little bigger for her this year!

One of the kids’ favourite winter activities is their skating lessons. I can’t say I love all the early weekend mornings at the skating rink, but I guess this is payback for when I was a kid. At least that’s what my mom says!

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I admit that putting a mini hockey rink in my basement might seem a bit excessive, but given the number of good times I’ve had with my siblings, friends and all of our kids, it was 100 per cent worth it.

Truth be told, we don’t always get that much snow in the city. So sometimes activities like building snowmen can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, since Frozen came along, the only snowman anyone wants to build is Olaf. And with his slim physique, we can usually make do.

Whenever I’m out on the slopes I keep my eyes peeled for wildlife lurking in the woods. One year during our annual trip to Collingwood I managed to grab a selfie with a ski bunny!

After a day on the slopes, there’s nothing better than heading inside for a little après ski. Of course when you have toddlers it’s generally limited to hot chocolate, but the sentiment is the same. (OK, this photo may have been staged, but it’s still a pretty accurate representation.)

My brother and I have always been close and we’ve been known to do some crazy things together – including the odd polar plunge. I can’t remember who dared who this time, but it wasn’t our first and definitely wasn’t our last.