For some parents, seeing people post on Facebook about snow days and school cancellations is a tiny blessing. It means that there is no rush to get out of bed and no need to step out of doors.
However, this is not a vacation day from parenting. Having your little ones home, especially if you have more than one, means finding ways to keep them busy so you don’t go insane.
Check out these 8 indoor activities you can easily set up to occupy your kids and ensure that a snow day is a fun day.
PS: In the spirit of being proactive, grab some of the activity supplies to keep on hand.
Winter Camp Out
There’s something about stormy weather that calls for small and warm spaces. Set up a mini campsite in your living room and hunker down for the day. You can pitch a small tent or even build a cushion fort. Bring sleeping bags, flashlights and be sure to have camp snacks on hand – have your children help you make indoor S’mores. Yum!
What you’ll need: A tent or cushions, sleeping bag, flashlight, S’mores ingredients
Snow Day Tea Party
If busting out the camping goods is not feasible, have a dainty snow day tea party! Brew some decaffeinated tea, bake some cookies and dress up in your fanciest attire. Bonus points if you can teach your children how to speak in a British accent.
What you’ll need: A tea set, decaf tea, pretty frocks, cookie ingredients
Paint Chip Scavenger Hunt
Provide a more hands-off activity for your kids and keep them busy with a paint chip scavenger hunt. Give them each one of those long, vertical paint chips and have them find objects around the house that match the colours. Bonus Tip: The more paint chips, the more time it will take.
What you’ll need: Paint chips (grab them for free at a hardware or building supply store)
Snow Slime
Slime seems to be all the rage today and making it is a great lesson in science and goo. Follow this simple recipe to make a fun and messy snow day slime:
6 oz bottle white glue
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoon contact lens solution (find this in the pharmacy section of any store)
Glitter
Mix the ingredients with a spatula and combined. Knead with hands. Place in an air tight jar to store.
What you’ll need: All that stuff
Paper Airplane Races
The Autism Support Worker in me is going to tell you that folding paper airplanes is great for practicing and developing fine motor skills. The parent in me will tell you that it’s just plain fun.
Try making your own designs or print off some templates to ramp up the speed and style. Mark distances on the floor with masking tape and see who can fly their plane the furthest.
What you’ll need: Paper, masking tape
Toilet Paper Bowling
Delight in this fun, exciting and quiet activity by setting up rolls of toilet paper in a pyramid formation and allowing your little ones to knock them down with a small ball. If you have a plastic bowling set, that’s great, but this is novel and less noisy.
What you’ll need: Several rolls of toilet paper, small ball
Snow Shooters
This activity is the perfect marriage between craft time and shooting people with small pieces of cotton. Follow these instructions and let the onslaught begin!
Styrofoam cups
Balloons
Scissors and Glue
Cotton balls (broken up into smaller pieces)
Cut the bottom out of the Styrofoam cup and cut the tops off the balloons. Make sure to cut them so they fit around the bottom of the cup. Use the glue to adhere the balloons to the bottom of the cup by placing the glue first and then stretching the balloon over it.
You can also let your kids decorate the cups after cutting the bottoms out. When finished, place a piece of cotton inside the cup, pull on the balloon at the bottom and let go. The cotton will go flying!
What you’ll need: See above
