Snow Day Fun

Another snow day.

Even my kids are starting to get stir crazy, and they’ve been loving this cold weather and the many stay-at-home days that result from all this snow.

With the ice and the bitter cold cold temps, I’m digging deeper to make staying indoors more entertaining for all of us. Here are our top 6 picks from recent kid testing!

Indoor Snowground: This might be our favorite because it’s like a “read your own adventure” book – the options change with every fresh tub of snow. Fill plastic tubs or container with snow. While the kids are collecting their plastic mini figures (we like animals at the moment, with Star Wars action figures as a close 2nd), get out sprinkles and/or food coloring. Each kid can decorate with their desired colors and create their own little winter wonderland. Clear containers up the fun quotient, since you can see the color spreading through the snow.
Snowball Fights: It’s simple, but fun. Dump a bag or two of cotton balls in the middle of the floor and start throwing “snow balls” at the kids. This fun just keeps on giving, and gives the kids a chance to get their giggles out and burn off some energy. They even learn the art of picking up after themselves for subsequent rounds of indoor snowball wars.
Build a Fort: The indoor kind that is. Whether it’s pillows and sheets or boxes or blocks, let the kids create their own space to hibernate this winter. Our son has taken over half the basement with his life-size version of a box fort, complete with a door, tunnels and plastic-wrap covered skylights for light. Whether they use it for a reading nook or as cover for Nerf gun fights, a fort is their special place, and it’s STEM learning at it’s best.
Paper Airplanes: An old standby but a good one: Making and flying paper airplanes all over the house fills everyone with joy in our house. We test different features and different kinds of paper. It doesn’t matter if it flies, it’s the creating and the testing that make it fun. The Berenstain Bears – Fly It can help inspire everyone in the house!
Snow Ice Cream: My sister and I tried the snow candy recipe from Little House in the Big Woods with snow and maple syrup when we were kids, but this snow ice cream recipe makes for a tastier treat in my book.
Indoor Obstacle Course: Another fun way to get out some energy. While it starts out with each kid creating their own course for all of us to run, crawl or jump our way through, it generally ends up with tons of collaboration. It’s as much fun to create the course as it is to get through it!

If you’re still desperate, don’t be afraid to get a little messy. Finger painting with paint or shaving cream, cooking and flour dough clay are all fine ways to while away an hour of the day. Let us know your favorite snow day activity in the comments below, and good luck with yet another snow day!