17 ways to have some winter fun

Canadians have a love/hate relationship with winter. Some of us boast about how we trekked through mountains of snow on our way to school, we defy traction as we drive our cars through blizzards and we laugh off winter's attempts to keep us housebound as we strap on snowboards, skis, skates or snowshoes and make our merry way to wherever we want to go. (Take that, snow, slush and ice!)

Yet, we also race from place to place in the winter as we hurry to take shelter from the biting cold, we curse our static-cling hair and wind-chapped lips from the dry, unfriendly air; we limit our social calendars during the coldest days and nights so we can hibernate in our homes until the spring thaw.

Yes, we love our winters and we love to hate our winters too. But some of us have discovered that the key to surviving long Canadian winters in the best of spirits is to have some winter fun.

Homemakers.com asked readers to send in their best photos of "winter fun" and the following pictures are some of our favourite submissions. They remind us of the many ways you can enjoy yourself in the coldest season, despite the chill.