What to watch out for when tobogganing
As soon as the first snow has fallen, the children can no longer be kept at home. You only have one goal: grab the sled and off to the next toboggan hill! Dashing down the slope with momentum – that’s fun and puts a smile on the face of even the little ones. In fact, the tobogganing fun not only inspires the kids; many adults also like this kind of leisure activity in winter. Quite a few families therefore use their days off to start a hearty toboggan ride with the children.
Also read: My child is afraid of snow – what to do?
Tobogganing – but safe!
So that the tobogganing fun doesn’t end with bruises or broken bones, it is important to find a suitable mountain for this fun. Ideally, the toboggan slope is bordered by a large open area with no trees or garden fences. Both can abruptly brake the sled that has started to move and lead to severe injuries. A road at the end of the toboggan hill is also completely unsuitable, since children in particular do not always brake in time and therefore sometimes do not have their sled under control.
In some towns and communities there are toboggan slopes specially designated for winter fun – here you can be sure that nothing can spoil the fast-paced fun.
It doesn’t work without rules
A bunch of wild children in the snow – some rushing down the slope, others pulling their sled back up in tow: what kind of chaos would there be if everyone ran together? Nobody could toboggan safely anymore and the whole thing is definitely not fun. Therefore there are two (unwritten) rules on the toboggan hill:
- As soon as you have reached the bottom with your sled, you should immediately step aside to make room for the following sledders.
- If you pull your sled back up, you should only do this to the left or right at the edge of the toboggan hill. This ensures that the children waiting at the top can drive down safely.
Not every child can steer their vehicle perfectly and some tobogganists still have problems with braking. With the above rules, tobogganing becomes much safer and especially small children are protected.
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The right clothes
So that fun in the snow doesn’t end with a bad cold ends, special attention is paid to the kids’ clothing. Smaller children are nice and warm in snow overalls – the kidney area in particular is optimally protected from the cold. Bigger kids, on the other hand, prefer to wear snow pants and a matching jacket (anorak or ski jacket). Long underwear – preferably made of wool/silk – ensures good moisture transport and keeps the skin dry. A turtleneck sweater that is not too thick is warming and the children may not even need an extra scarf (the ends of which usually only dangle in the snow and are always a nuisance anyway…) Very important: a hat that goes over the ears and of course is waterproof Gloves. Snow boots are preferable to mid-height winter shoes,
Sled – if you have the choice, you are spoiled for choice
Steering sleds, horned sleds, snow bobsleds, butt slides – the selection of all kinds of vehicles for tobogganing fun is really big. The good old horn sled is still recommended for smaller children. They can hold on to it much better than, for example, to a sled without bent wood. A large sledge that can comfortably accommodate 3 people is ideal for a family trip to the toboggan run. On the other hand, if the child goes out alone or wants to take the sled to kindergarten, a smaller model is cheaper. Due to the lower weight, small sleds can be pulled up the slope much more easily. At some point, boys in particular wish for a steering sled. Here, models with runners made of metal have proven themselves; they are significantly more durable than plastic runners.
Hot tea and a small snack
Tobogganing is not only fun, it also makes you hungry! Children are very persistent when it comes to sledging up the mountain again and again and then rushing down the slope like the wind. How good when mum or dad have packed the picnic basket! A small snack gives you new strength and fills up empty energy stores. A nice hot cup of tea helps quickly and reliably against the rising cold. It warms you up and quenches your thirst at the same time.
We wish you lots of fun in the snow and a fun toboggan run!