Snowballs!

Sibling / Friend snowball fights is the best game ever during Winter!

Ground rules: NO ICE and try to aim below the neck!

The four basic types of snow:

POWDER:  Likely to be seen on very cold day, it has low moisture content and lots of air. Skiers love it, but not snowball fighters, because it's too dry to pack well.

SLUSH:  No one likes slush; this mushy, melty waterlogged snow is horrid for snowballs.

ICE: snow that has melted and refrozen, this type of "snow" is to be left alone! You don't want to get hit by it, and you don't want to throw it. Ice hurts, and it wrecks fun.

SNOWBALL SNOW:  Yah! The perfect snow! Made in weather that hovers around the freezing mark. You know it when you see it. The snow is airy yet firm, and when you roll some between your hands it sets into a ball that nearly leaps into the air.

To make a snowball, (for those of you deprived of snow in Florida and such places) scoop enough snow to fill your hands. Push in, and rotate both hands around your snowball. Pack it. Smooth it. Add more to make it bigger. It's your choice to stockpile, or make them as you go.

After hours playing in the snow, head inside to warm up, but not before you've filled a pan with fresh snow. Bring it inside, where maple syrup - somewhat mysteriously - has been warmed on the stove by a thoughtful parent. Pour the maple syrup in ribbon patterns over the snow, and enjoy Snow Taffy.