Have a snowball fight

A snowball fight is the most spontaneous thing in winter, and it works best with a few friends. It lasts about ten minutes before everyone is too wet and happy to carry on. All you need is some snow and the right rules, agreed before the first throw.

When and where

You need snow that sticks. Wet, heavy snow makes the best snowballs, and powder falls apart. Look for a wide, open space like a park or a snowy field, with no windows, cars or passers-by in range and well away from roads.

Go in daylight. Light disappears quickly on winter afternoons, and it’s hard to see what’s flying toward you in the dark.

What to wear

• Waterproof gloves. This is the one thing that really matters, because your hands will be in the snow the whole time.
• A hat, ideally one that covers your ears.
• Waterproof pants or boots. You will end up sitting in the snow.
• Glasses or sunglasses, if you have them. A snowball in the eye is unpleasant.

How to do it

1. Agree on the rules. Say them out loud: no ice, no faces, and stop when someone says stop.
2. Make teams. Two or three people each works well, or play one against one.
3. Build forts. Pack snow into a low wall about knee to waist height, with a gap to peek through. Each team gets its own.
4. Stock up. Make a pile of snowballs before you start. Squeeze them firmly to about the size of a tennis ball, and keep them behind your wall.
5. Start. Count down from three. Throw underarm or overarm, aiming at the body, never the head.
6. Switch it up. Play a round where everyone’s for themselves, or one where the winner is the last fort standing.

Making the best snowballs

A good snowball is packed, not squashed. Scoop up a handful of snow, press it gently between your gloved hands, and turn it as you press, so it rounds out. Don’t squeeze it into a hard lump, because that is how an ice ball is made, and that’s what hurts. If the snow is too dry, pack it a little more, or wait for the sun to soften it. Make a stack of spares before the fight starts, because nobody wants to stop and make ammunition while the other team keeps throwing.

Throwing is easier than it looks. Step forward with the foot opposite your throwing arm, and let the ball go at the top of the swing. Aim for the legs or the middle of the body, because a moving friend is much easier to hit low than high.

Some game ideas

Capture the flag works well: each fort has a scarf or a hat on top, and a team wins by grabbing the other’s without being hit. Or play to a count, where anyone hit three times is out. Keep the games short, and change them if one side is losing too badly. A fight is at its best when both teams think they’re about to win, so swap a few players across if one side is clearly outnumbered.

What goes wrong

• Snowballs fall apart. The snow’s too dry. Wait for wetter snow, or press harder.
• Someone gets hit in the face. Check in straight away, apologise, and remind everyone of the rule.
• Icy snow. Snow that has refrozen is hard enough to hurt. Skip the fight, or only throw soft snow.
• Someone is getting too cold. Hands go numb faster than you’d think. Take a break and warm up.
• It stops being fun. Stop. Call it when anyone has had enough.

No snow?

Not everyone gets it. Indoors, roll up pairs of clean socks or use soft pom-poms, and use cushions as forts. Take out anything breakable first, and keep to the same rules.

After the fight

Change out of wet clothes as soon as you can, especially gloves and socks. A thermos of something hot helps. Count who won, or don’t.

Make it a winter day

Begin by building a snowman, so there’s something to defend, and finish with a hot chocolate once everyone is warm and dry again.