Snow Day Fun for the Kids
Ideas to Keep the Kids Amused on a Snow Day or Day Off of School
Yippee! A Snow Day! Do you love ‘em or hate ‘em? My kids dream about Snow Days but over the years I have found that after the first few hours of freedom from school have passed, they’re bored already. Having an arsenal of ideas to keep the kids amused on these Mother Nature mandated play days is essential to keep the kids smiling and keep Mom from pulling out her hair.
4 Snow Day Ideas:
- If your kids like the cold weather, get outside! Go sledding over at Palatine Hills. Get all of the neighbor kids together to build the biggest snowman. Build a snow fort. Have a snowball fight.
- Movie Marathon. Let the kids stay in their pajamas and pick a theme for a movie marathon. Let each member of the family pick a movie and then make popcorn, bake cookies, or set up an ice cream sundae bar for some extra special movie treats.
- Puzzles, Games, or Art Kits. This is the perfect day to “rediscover” some games, puzzles, or art or model kits that have been sitting in the closet ignored. Clear a space for the kids at a table and bring out these forgotten items which will seem like new gifts to the kids.
- Bake Cookies. Let each child choose their favorite cookie recipe and have fun in the kitchen baking together. My kids love Peanut Butter Blossoms. This isn’t a cookie but these Hot Chocolate Mug Cakes are easy and fun to make on a cold day.
For more ideas on Family Fun, read my articles Keeping the Kids Amused on Days Off of School and Celebrate Groundhog Day with the Kids.
Moms, do you love or dread Snow Days? What keeps your kids amused on Snow Days? We’d love to hear from you!
Tell us in the comments.
Melanie Santostefano
12:34 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
I filed a big bowl of snow for my two year old (too impulsive to have out in the snow today) plopped him down on the kitchen floor and gave him an ice cream scooper and a muffin pan and he spent a half hour (a record for him focusing on anything!) scooping snow into the muffin pan. He had a ball and I had a ball watching him have so much fun!
Geneva Slupski
6:41 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
I love this idea! I was wondering earlier what my 6-month-old would have done if I had brought in some snow for her to play with... She probably would have tried to eat it!
Kathy O.
12:48 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A different take on the movie idea - my kids love watching old videos of themselves. How many times during the year do you get to pull out the home movies? The kids love seeing how they were/acted when they were smaller and to see how much Dad and Mom have changed in just a few short years.
Sue Kirchner
1:58 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
These ideas are AWESOME! I love bringing the snow inside and a home movie party is the perfect way to walk down memory lane. It reminds me of the time when my son was about 5 and we were watching our wedding video. He turned to me and said that he was mad we hadn't invited him to the party.
Debby
2:29 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Have a themed activity day. When my oldest son was in 1st or 2nd grade, we had a dinosaur day, complete with BBQ brontosaurus sandwiches (BBQ beef), dinosaur eggs (Jell-O molds), and sweatshirt painting, using dinosaur stencils. This was something we planned in advance for a day off school; but, you could probably pull together something along these lines from the fun supplies you have hanging around the house!
Camille
2:43 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Love playing outside in the snow, then a little work and a movie marathon. This snow day has really been fun!
Sue Kirchner
4:30 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
More great ideas. Since I just got the call that District 15 schools are closed tomorrow too, I'm going to need more ideas. Thanks for sharing, Moms!
Kathy O.
8:23 am on Thursday, February 3, 2011
If your street is plowed, and the kids are old enough, and you are getting cabin fever, the Palatine library is open today and it has underground parking.
Monique Zipperich
8:51 am on Thursday, February 3, 2011
This morning we will be making homemade play dough for our Valentine’s Day party coming up & baking a quiche for our picnic lunch (located under the dining room table). Afternoon off to trek outside for a nature walk to our nearby creek with binoculars and camera in hand.
Our day will end with making a giant blanket tent upstairs filled with toys, flashlights, ice-cream and ghost stories!