It's easy to think of fun, active things to do with kids when the sun is shining, but winter and rainy days can pose challenges.

Here are some ideas to help you and your child still be active even when it's cold or wet outside.

- Put on coats, hats and gloves and venture outside. Show your child what the beach looks like in wild weather or visit botanical gardens when the plants are all wet and glossy.
- When it's wet, dress up in gumboots and raincoats and look for some big puddles to jump in. An umbrella can be fun to take along too, even if your child does want to keep opening and closing it.

Indoor activities: try swimming, trampolining, ice-skating, ping pong, ten-pin bowling and cricket.
Traditional winter sports, such as football, hockey, netball or rugby, can be great for your child to take up when she's big enough. Look for sports where the rules have been revised so they're fun for young children.
A trip to the snow can be great fun for snow play, snow-shoeing or even tobogganing.

If you can't face the cold and wet, here are some ideas for indoor versions of outdoor activities. You can also make up your own.

- Encourage your child to throw a scarf up in the air and catch it on her arm, leg or head.
- Let your child kick a balloon up as high as possible, or use a fly swat or plastic bat to hit it.
- Games with hand clapping and ball rolling are also good indoors and help develop coordination and movement skills – you can set up your own indoors game of ten-pin bowls using a tennis ball and some plastic bottles.
- Build a fort together out of chairs and blankets.
- Have races around the living room.

This article authored and brought to you by Raising Children Network the Australian parenting website.