As John Thomas described his experience sledding in front of the Capitol on Monday afternoon, he paused to examine what was happening next to him.

“It is super, duper, duper bumpy,” Thomas said.

But then, kids in what appeared to be a dinosaur-themed inflatable tube made their way next to him, almost stopping by his side.

“OK, yeah, that’s different,” Thomas said. “It’s super bumpy. All of those edges, super bumpy.”

Thomas was part of the small crowd that gathered near the U.S. Capitol. With schools closed and snow remaining on the ground, the group used the elements as an excuse to get out of the house.

“There’s the Capitol, and this hill is so big, and it’s nice and gradual, and everyone comes together and goes sledding,” Anne Thomas, John’s mom, said. “It doesn’t matter what party you are in. Everyone forgets about that stuff and has a good time. It’s a lot of fun.”

Sarah Fee, meanwhile, went down the hill wearing a University of Oregon winter hat. That’s where she’ll be attending college, so Monday’s session, she thought, might be her last chance to sled in D.C. for a while.

“I remember growing up, people would give each other sleds, like strangers they didn’t even know,” Fee said. “Just a nice community on the Hill.”

Henry Faranda-Harris said he enjoys sledding as a bonding activity with his brother and dad. It happens only once or twice a year, he said, and Monday’s session was painful at times.

“The landings, whenever your sled does a jump, it’s just really, really hard on the old bum, I suppose,” he said.

His brother, Emmett, described the experience as “slippery and fun, but it can also hurt a little because it’s really hard and rugged.”

Tony Canavan appreciated that the area near the Capitol remained open.

“It’s sometimes called the nation’s backyard, and as someone who lives nearby, I really like how we can make use of this space as our own,” Canavan said.

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