Survive the Cold Snap

At home

1. Have a good supply of essential medication, some bottled water, some basic rations and batteries or candles.
2. Insulate your attic pipes, but not the space under your water storage tank. Don’t leave your attic door open to keep your attic warm. Insulate a box around your water storage tank instead.
3. Try not to leave taps running

Going outside with the kids

You can still have a lot of fun in the cold weather, just follow these tips

1. Dress in layers, your child will probably need one more layer than you are wearing yourself to keep warm.
2. Pay special attention to the head, hands and feet.
3. Going for a brisk walk, say over 15 minutes, will make you feel warmer even in very cold weather.
4. The special shoe grips that make it easy to walk on snowy, icy ground are widely available this year. Invest in a pair, but be careful they will wear out quickly if you walk on cleared pavements, and will damage floors if you wear them indoors. Maybe just pack a spare pair of shoes if you find removing and replacing them a chore.

Driving in Winter

1. Ignore the salt with the special packaging in your local garage and throw a bag of dishwasher salt from Aldi or Lidl in the boot instead.
2. A shovel might come in handy too, for clearing deep snow before using the salt
3. Keep a spare warm coat in the car, just in case.
4. For long journeys, pack a warm drink and some snacks.
5. In Canada, people commonly carry a few tea lights and some matches in the glove box. It’s a useful heat source in a broken down car.

Other Useful Resources

1. Upcoming events on Mykidstime - if cabin fever strikes!
2. Indoor Activities in your local area
3. Government's Winter Ready site