SUMMARY
Beyond camping, a number of cold-weather activities present challenges to Scouts and leaders, such as alpine or cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding, ice fishing, and snowshoeing. Essential ingredients for fun include skill training and an awareness of the hazards unique to these activities.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Here are a few key points that can help you safely have fun during your winter activities outdoors.
- Activities should be supervised by mature and conscientious adults.
- Participants should be aware of the potential dangers of any winter sport, and leaders should stress incident prevention by emphasizing proper technique.
- Help participants understand the need for using appropriate personal protective equipment such as helmets for sledding, snowboarding, and skiing.
- Winter sports are more physically demanding. Leaders and youth should be physically fit and capable to participate.
- Be sure equipment fits each person properly.
- During sledding, make sure the hill is safe and free of obstacles. Keep sledding paths and participant return paths separate from each other.
- Talk about and gain support for the basic rules for the activity … before it begins.