Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Sledding in Style

When our oldest was a toddler she loved being outside all year round but the cold North Dakota winters made it tough. To make an economical toboggan, I filled my laundry basket with blankets and a hot water bottle, packed her in among the blankets then strung a nylon rope through the holes as a handle.

Instant sledding pleasure with all the warmth a two year-old could need. The plastic basket slid easily over snow and ice and the sides kept her from tipping over.

Check in with Rocks in My Dryer every Wednesday for other good tips.



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30 comments:

Lara said...

Michelle, that is a wonderful idea! I'm going to try that this year. I wonder if it would work on the Mount of Death?

Ok, it just occured to me that someone is going to have to pull Lovely back up the hill again and I don't know if I really ever want that much exercise.

Scribbit said...

I don't know, someone as clever as you could rig up some kind of a winch that towed her up at the end of a very long rope. :)

Julie in Texas said...

How fun! If only we lived in a place that got snow! My boys were just excited to be able to "skate" on the driveway the other day because of a THIN sheet of ice!

Anonymous said...

What a great suggestion. Although I live where we don't have snow and I don't have a small child any long, I think that is the best way to keep a child warm during the fun outside activities.

Erica Douglas said...

Ingenious Michelle, you should share this through the festival of family flair. Your sled looks safer for younger kids than a traditional one because of the high sides.

JChevais said...

neat idea!

Anonymous said...

That's an AWESOME idea! Great pic, too! :)

Unknown said...

Now who would have thunk??? That is an awesome idea!!! Great photo and happy WW!!!

M said...

That's a great way to keep kids warm. We need it now as we're close to freezing now in Southern California!

BTW- every time I read your blog. I think about my one and only trip to Alaska, over Christmas several years back. I spent the entire trip awestruck at the beauty!

Thanks for the memories.

Anonymous said...

That is awesome...Great idea.

Anonymous said...

That is great. When my daughter is old enough I will have to try this (if we ever have snow in Pennsylvania again)

Jane said...

I'll have to remember this one for when we have kids and travel to the inlaws! That is an adorable picture!

J said...

You are one smart cookie! What a good idea! Esp. the hot water bottle.

Melissa Angert {All Things Chic} said...

brilliant! you always have such great ideas!

Overwhelmed! said...

Great idea! Now if only I had some snow. :)

Zeus said...

Ok, that is just downright clever! I don't think, though, that I would tolerate being pulled in a small laundry basket through the snow. Being twirled around on the computer chair is bad enough as it is!

Julie Q. said...

Wait a minute. North Dakota? Have you EVER lived anywhere warm?

An Ordinary Mom said...

Very clever! I like how it keeps the child from falling over!

Nicole said...

This is the cutest idea. VERY original! What a lucky little one!

*~*Cece*~* said...

That is so clever! *clapping my hands*

Anonymous said...

What a clever idea! Mind if I steal it? My little ounes would LOVE that!

Amy said...

That is super smart!!

Blog said...

I've never been a huge tobogganer.... Don't ski either. How boring am I? ;)

Carina said...

Great idea! We've been looking for something that would slide well. We ended up with a Rubbermaid tub.

Anonymous said...

You should totally submit this to http://www.parenthacks.com/

Bec said...

So cute! Is there a version for larger children? Ours will see snow for the first time this July...

Jen said...

Hmmm...I'll have to try that. The flat sheet of cardboard isn't cutting it and every single store around here is sold out of sleds.

CJ said...

I was born in ND! I wish my parents would have come up with this instead of putting us on those stupid discs...that we once fell off and then had my very large father land ON TOP OF our little 1 and 3 year old bodies!

Janice (5 Minutes for Mom) said...

that is brilliant!!! and such a cute photo :)

Stephanie said...

I wish I would have read this idea yesterday before I went to 4 stores trying to find a small cheap sled for my two year old. She is always wanting to ride in the laundry basket and your are right it would've eliminate the header she took in snow yesterday! She was a trouper and got right back in after only just a few tears.