EBS STAFF
West Yellowstone sees an average of 150 inches of snow annually, often between October and May. And as a way of encouraging kids to get outside in the wintertime, the Kids’N’Snow program in West Yellowstone offers an array of outdoor children’s activities during the winter season.
One weekend each month, December through March, Kids’N’Snow hosts activities ranging from snowshoeing and ice fishing, to snowmobiling and sledding.
This season, Kids’N’Snow will offer events Dec. 16-17, Jan. 13-14, Feb. 3-4 and March 3-4. For the first session in December, kids will have an opportunity to snowshoe with a National Park Service Ranger, ride on snowmobiles, learn about raptors, make snow art, and learn to ski.
According to the program website, the organizers “offer an opportunity for all kids, both from our community and winter visitors, the chance to try new things in a safe and fun, hands-on learning environment. And, hopefully, [they] develop lifelong, healthy habits along the way.”
The Kids’N’Snow program started in 2010 and has expanded to reach over 1,000 participants. In 2012, the program received the Tourism Event of the Year from the Montana Office of Tourism and in 2014, it was awarded an Association of Zoos & Aquariums Nature Grant, recognizing Kids’N’Snow as an AZA Nature Play Site.
The event is a public–private partnership with local businesses and nonprofit organizations, as well as Yellowstone National Park, Custer Gallatin National Forest, the Town of West Yellowstone and the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce.
Each weekend’s activities and schedule vary, so families are invited to attend multiple weekends. Most of the activities are offered at no charge, but some have limited space so pre-registration is available. Kids’N’Snow headquarters is located at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center, at 30 Yellowstone Ave.
To learn more or to register, call the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce at (406) 646-7701 or visit kidsnsnow.org.
