Winter is here. The clouds are looming over us and there’s a chill in the air. But, that doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors! Your backyard or your front yard are still great places to enjoy some fun activities with your family; especially during the holidays.
If you have a shade structure like a pergola, awning, or patio cover, you can use these to enhance fun activities. Here’s a quick list of things you can do for the winter while utilizing your shade structure:
· Snowball Fight: If you live in an area where there’s a lot of snow, then having a good old-fashioned snowball fight is a great way to stay active during the winter. If you have a shade structure like a stand-alone pergola, you can use it as protection. Or if you have an attached awning, you can make that area the safe spot our out spot.
· Decorate/Themes: Buy some holiday lights, wreaths, and other fun objects and decorate your yard and the area under your patio or awning. Think of things like the feet of Santa Claus hanging from the edge of the awning. Or a reindeer’s antlers peeking from the top of the shade structure. Or wind red and blue lights around the poles of your awning to make them look like candy canes.
· Snowball Fight: If you live in an area where there’s a lot of snow, then having a good old-fashioned snowball fight is a great way to stay active during the winter. If you have a shade structure like a stand-alone pergola, you can use it as protection. Or if you have an attached awning, you can make that area the safe spot our out spot.
· Decorate/Themes: Buy some holiday lights, wreaths, and other fun objects and decorate your yard and the area under your patio or awning. Think of things like the feet of Santa Claus hanging from the edge of the awning. Or a reindeer’s antlers peeking from the top of the shade structure. Or wind red and blue lights around the poles of your awning to make them look like candy canes.
· Dining/Hot Chocolate: Sit outside and sip some hot chocolate with the kids or set up a fun dinner.
· Color/Chalk the Yard: If you have cement or brick or other hard surfaces under your awning, you can color the area with chalk and paint that is washable. You can create fun holiday designs and even play a game of tic tac to.
· Star Gaze: Set up a telescope or just sit under your shade structure – so you can keep protected from any light rain or windy debris – and look up at the stars. You can keep track of your star gazing with a journal with your kids and mark down the constellations, planets, and stars you see every week.
Winter can be cold and gloomy, but with some creative ideas, you don’t have to stay stuck in the house. Remember, don’t light a fire under your shade structure because this can damage it. Keep in mind, you can always consult your installer if you have any questions about what you can do with your awning.
· Color/Chalk the Yard: If you have cement or brick or other hard surfaces under your awning, you can color the area with chalk and paint that is washable. You can create fun holiday designs and even play a game of tic tac to.
· Star Gaze: Set up a telescope or just sit under your shade structure – so you can keep protected from any light rain or windy debris – and look up at the stars. You can keep track of your star gazing with a journal with your kids and mark down the constellations, planets, and stars you see every week.
Winter can be cold and gloomy, but with some creative ideas, you don’t have to stay stuck in the house. Remember, don’t light a fire under your shade structure because this can damage it. Keep in mind, you can always consult your installer if you have any questions about what you can do with your awning.
For more information about shade structures, feel free to contact us at American Awning & Blind Co. by visiting us at http://americanawningabc.com. Or call us at 800-654-5933. You can also email us at info@americanawningabc.com.