Snow, wind, sun: It must be March on the Palouse.  The weather at this time of year can be pretty wild and fickle. But we can count on at least some bright sun and longer days – Daylight Savings begins March 9 and the Vernal Equinox occurs March 19. Here’s to more light all around!

But the combination of bright sun and snow can make for some pretty extreme glare. We rediscovered this a couple of weeks ago while hiking and sledding near our home on one of those idyllic late winter days we are so lucky to get here: Beautiful clear blue sky, bright sun, warm enough to leave behind a layer or two, and still plenty of snow. A perfect day for outdoor play. But by mid-day, our two youngsters had painfully bloodshot eyes. Oops, bad-parent moment. 

With this article I hope to share with you a fun, easy and creative way to avoid the guilty feelings that come with a child’s sunburned eyeballs. What’s more, you won’t have to shell out big bucks for sunglasses, which are likely to be lost even before summer rolls around.

Early Arctic people invented snow goggles to protect their eyes from the intense glare of the sun bouncing off snow. Make your own snow goggles and see what a difference they make. Kids of all ages can make these by themselves with safety scissors, and even the youngest children can decorate the finished goggles. Older kids and adults can have great fun decorating the snow goggles in any number of imaginative ways to personalize their own creations. Note: These goggles do not allow for good peripheral vision, so use caution when wearing them for intense outdoor activities.

To get started you’ll need:

 ~ A cardboard egg carton (You’ve surely seen those teetering piles of egg cartons in the front-end recycle bin at the Co-op. I’m sure you might be able to get one or two there.)

 ~Scissors or a craft knife

 ~Two pieces of string, twine, or elastic bands, each 20 inches long

~ Optional decorating supplies: Paint, glitter, moss, twigs/bark, crayons or markers, feathers, sequins, puff-balls, stickers etc.; whatever strikes your fancy.

First, cut two cups from the egg carton so that they are attached to each other and to the flaps of cardboard on the outer side of each cup. Next, use your scissors or craft knife to cut slits approximately one-half inch long and one-eighth inch wide along the bottom of each egg-cup (see photo). This is a bit tricky unless your scissors have pointed tips, so little ones will need help here. Third, poke a small hole in each flap and insert string or twine through, then tie to hold in place. Now you are ready to try on your goggles and adjust for fit and ease of vision. Finally, decorate the goggles any way you wish. Keep in mind, these may get wet outside, so a coat of paint is nice to seal them before adding other artistic touches.

And there you have it; a pair of fabulously functional homemade snow goggles. They are fun to make, practically free, and they work! What a simple way to avoid sunburned eyes.