(Donna Erickson)

When the forecast calls for rain, sleet, snow or sub-zero temps like we've experienced this month in Minnesota, don't let Old Man Winter keep you inside. Try something new with your kids you'll never forget. Like ice fishing!

That's exactly what Meg Bertas, mom of 3-year-old Julian and 5-year-old Sylvie, decided to do a couple of weeks ago.

Lured by a Winter Kite Festival on a frozen metro lake, they went out in the single-digit temps to be part of the scene.

And what a winter wonderland it was! Pint-sized anglers tried their luck fishing for perch through a foot of ice drilled for them by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in the 20-foot-deep waters. Others flew spectacular, colorful kites. Meanwhile toddlers, who were bundled up from head to toe, grinned from ear to ear on sleds as their parents pulled them across the bumpy snow.

"Hibernation isn't an option this time of year," said Meg as she patiently untangled her kids' fishing lines that were dangling in a 10-inch-wide hole in the ice. "It's important to remember there's community outside the four walls of our house and lots to explore, even when it's cold outside."

In the snowy North or milder South, cure your winter blahs by trying something new with your kids. Top off the outing with a simple meal when you get home, and if you have enough energy, play a card game or board game by the fireplace.

  • Getting out the door doesn't have to take a lot of planning. It can be as easy
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    as walking to the neighborhood bakery, visiting the library and checking out a week's supply of reading or meeting another family for a favorite activity.

  • For something novel, blow bubbles in the freezing air. Watch them bounce and sparkle. Take a night walk with flashlights or cross-country ski with older kids under a full moon.

  • Check online for free and reasonably priced events at your local park, regional nature center or arboretum. It's important to get kids to experience the changes of seasons in different venues, and wintertime provides new discoveries of plants and wildlife.

  • Teach your child something you enjoyed doing as kid and rediscover that joy when you are together. Build a snow fort, snowshoe, ice skate, hike, take photos of outdoor scenes and people or build a campfire and toast marshmallows.

    Donna Erickson's award-winning television series, "Donna's Day," is airing on public television nationwide. Watch it in the Twin Cities at 7:30 a.m. Fridays on tptLife on channels 13 and 17. Sign up for Donna's e-newsletter at donnasday.com. Her latest book is "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families."