Most of us live in Tahoe for our love of the mountains, the lake and the four seasons. There is probably no place more beautiful than Tahoe to grow up in. My husband was born and raised here and we feel very fortunate to bring up our sons in the great outdoors.

Me? I’m a southern California transplant who never experienced seasons and usually played at the beach year-round. Living in Tahoe with snow and rain (man oh man, have we had rain lately!) during the winter months, requires a little more planning ahead to make sure we don’t all go stir-crazy.

There are some very obvious winter activities to participate in with kids, like sledding, skiing and building a snowman. However, if you’re like me, a mom that has two rambunctious boys, then you’re likely to always be on the hunt for ways in which to keep your kiddos busy. Here are some of my favorite, less obvious, winter activities:

Snow Tubing: Sierra-at-Tahoe has an awesome tube terrain setup at Blizzard Mountain for kids. My oldest son loves it, especially the conveyor belt that brings him up to the top. Heavenly also has a tube hill and rollercoaster (!!), but we have yet to try those out.

Indoor fun: There are surprisingly a lot of indoor options here for kids, both young and old. The Tahoe Tot Spot is great for toddlers, my sons love the ball pit and mini-coaster. My boys aren’t quite old enough for the open play time at Inversion Gym but I know they will love that when they turn six (especially if their jumping on the couch is any indication!). A secret place (to me at least!) is the fun zone inside the Harrah’s Arcade. It’s gated off, which makes it ideal for winter birthday parties, and has a maze of “hamster tubes” for kids to crawl through and burn tons of energy. Another great option is the open-play at Kahle Community Center every Tuesday, affectionately known as “Twosday Mornings” —they have an indoor playground, crafts and group circle time.

The Classics: Don’t forget, we have an awesome movie theater that always plays family-friendly movies (isn’t it great that most kid movies have adult humor too?), a bowling alley which is fun for the whole family, and the library, which hosts a whole variety of activities throughout the week. Oh! And I would be remiss without mentioning the ice skating rink and the indoor pools for swim lessons. I, for one, am thrilled that our community passed Measure P so that we can look forward to a new, state-of-the-art rec center!

Of course, some of my favorite winter activities are staying in, watching the snow fall, baking, watching movies, and playing board games—all by the fire of course!

So…what did I miss? Are there any winter activities that you and your family love to take part in? I’d love to hear! And stay safe out there—this weather definitely makes for cozy days at home.

Natasha Schue is a mom of two boys, wife and a full-time working, young professional. You can read more about her family adventures on her blog schuelove.com or follow her on Instagram @schuelove. You can send questions or comments to: schuelove@gmail.com.