7 Winter Experiences You'll Only Truly Understand If You Grew Up In Canada

Maple taffy in the snow

Canadians east of Manitoba — especially those in Eastern Ontario and Quebec — will probably have fond memories of this classic maple-y treat.

Pouring molten hot maple taffy onto the snow, forming golden lines of sweetness, rolling it up and popping it into your mouth has got to be one of the most divine experiences out there.

And, while this is obviously something you can do throughout your whole life, the first time you do it really does stick in your mind.

Tobogganing 

For any Americans reading this, this is what you call "sledding."

Whether you had a plastic, metal or wooden toboggan, one of the most fun winter activities ever was using it to rip down the nearest hill.

Sure, you'd wipe out and maybe have to go home early, but that was all part of the fun!

Waddling under layers of snow gear

Depending on where you lived in the country, it seemed like no matter how cold it got, you still had to go to school.

So, that meant sometimes you'd be so bundled up in layers that moving wasn't really an option.

You were forced to waddle, with your arms flopping at your sides, and then, when you got to where you needed to go, spend 15 minutes unencumbering yourself with the mountain of sweaters, snow suits and gloves.

Spending recess inside because it's too cold out

While it seemed like school was never cancelled, there were days when it was just too cold to force kids to go outside.

So, instead of going out and playing in the freezing Canadian winter, many children probably have memories of staying indoors during lunch or recess.

Maybe you got to play board games, have fun in the gymnasium or even watch a movie.

Whatever it was, if it wasn't routine, it felt like a fun little treat.

Playing in the massive snow piles built by the plows

One of the wonders of life was playing in those massive snow piles created by the snowplows at school, your local cul-de-sac or closest parking lot.

You could build tunnels, slide down, play "king of the castle" and so much more.

And, they would only get bigger and bigger as more snow fell.

Skating at an outdoor rink

If you grew up somewhere that had the climate to make an outdoor rink possible, it was always a wonderful experience.

Whether you were going around in chilly circles with your friends or hustling hard at an impromptu hockey game, it was always a big part of the winter season.

Building a snowman

What winter list would be complete without this one?

Making yourself a little snowman is probably one of the very first things most Canadian kids do during that first big snowfall — which is typically around October.

And, what makes it even better is watching him slowly melt and collapse over the course of the week as the temperature fluctuates. But that first day? There's nothing more majestic.