Snow Day Activities

After a week of weather related days with the kids off from school, and the possibility of even more snow days, help in containing the wiggles may be in order.  Snow days do not have to be restless mornings and afternoons spent locked indoors. There are many different and fun ways to pass the hours. Whether you’re a parent staying home from work, a grandparent who will keep the kids on a snow day or a day care provider, these snow day tips will help the kids have a great time on their next snow day.

  1. Pull a children’s book off the shelf and create a play. Improvise costumes from clothes in your closet. Practice the play throughout the day and perform the skit after dinner.
  2. Put on music and let the kids get some energy out by dancing. When the music stops they have to freeze in place. Anyone who moves while frozen is out. The winner is the last person dancing.
  3. Use craft materials to turn old socks into sock puppets for a Snow Day Puppet Show. An old box can be decorated and turned into a impromptu puppet stage. Kids will enjoy putting on a show for the whole family.
  4. Give each child a list of common household items and go on an indoor scavenger hunt. Limit the activity to a few rooms and make a no running rule. Have a small prize available for the winner.
  5. Put out bird seed or a suet block and feed the neighborhood birds. Compare the different species that come to grab an easy meal.
  6. On a clean patch of snow, pour maple syrup and allow to harden, then enjoy homemade maple candies.
  7. Play with toy trucks and cars in the snow.
  8. Shovel a shallow path in the snow around the yard to create a snow maze. Build snow blinds, behind which kids can hide.
  9. Use spray bottles or squirt bottles filled with water and food coloring to draw masterpieces in the snow. 
  10. Make “snowflake impressions” by catching snowflakes on cold glass sprayed with cold hair spray, and then view the results under a magnifying glass.

 

Source: Linda G. Swann, M.S. Early Childhood / SPED