Making it through ANOTHER Snow Day

Written by KT @ One Organic Mama, Contributing Writer

In Central MA where we live – we are up to 5 snow days… not 2 inches of snow, snow days… but 2 feet of snow, snow days – which means just logistically snowmen are out of the question… the snow is taller than both of my kids.

The roads are narrow, driveways are dangerous, and the kids are getting a little stir crazy!  Here are 10 ways to make it through another SNOW DAY with most of your sanity 🙂 

10 Ways to Make it Through ANOTHER Snow Day: 

First up, 5 inside activities –> use these for before nap time, when the snow is so far up your door you can’t open it…

1. Mess Free Finger Painting

This is fun because it is like finger painting without any of the clean up.  Mix up some finger paint (or regular liquid paint) with a little water in a GOOD zip lock bag.  Tape it to the table.  Add some trucks or other things that you can run through the paint.  This will guarantee you about 30-40 minutes of sanity.

2. Sinkers and Floaters

Gather up some random toys and household items (think marbles, paper clips, action figures, blocks, legos, etc).  Fill a bowl with water (if you want you can fill another with snow).  Sit the kids at the table (or on the floor with a towel) – and check out what sinks… and what floats! This will guarantee you another 30-40 minutes of sanity… keep it up… it’s almost nap time!

3. PIT Playing

Get a pan with a lip (a cookie sheet with edges or even a box you would wrap a shirt in for Christmas).  Into the box, dump a bunch of dried beans, small pasta, or dried veggies (like peas for pea soup).  Mix them up or just use one.  Then go around your house and gather all the matchbox cars, trucks, and a few spoons and cups.  Let the kids move the beans like dirt in a pit 🙂 This is good for another 30 minutes… almost there mamas! 

4. Masking Tape MAZE

Grab some masking tape (or washi tape, or any other colored tape).  Create roads… all over… the floor, up the couches, across any furniture you allow the kids to play on… make squares for parking lots, and big ovals for race tracks.  

Then take the matchbox cars from the pit.  Knock all the peas and beans out of them – and let the kids at the roads.  Organize races, car accident rescues, and traffic jams.  It will remind you of summer time when you can drive outside 🙂 30 more minutes here moms! I can SEE NAP TIME! 

5. Clean up and inspection

For some reason (maybe my kids are just weird) – my kids really take clean up seriously if I write out an inspection sheet.  I list out all the rooms and tell them to go at it.  When they are finished I say – ARE YOU READY FOR INSPECTION?! They stand at attention (again… I don’t know where this came from) – and we walk the house inspecting each room together… they love it.  I think it’s lame… but they love it! After you’re finished – it’s lunch and nap time! 

AFTER NAP… by now hopefully you can open the door… so it is time for some outside activities.  I find my kids will stay out longer if I go out there and play too… do this at your own risk 🙂 

6. Sand Play = Snow Play  

Grab all your sand toys… you know the ones buried behind all the shovels and salt for the driveway.  Dump them in the middle of the driveway and let the kids build snow castles, moats, and anything else they would typically build in the sand.

7. Snow Paint

Use a little bit of that artificial food coloring you keep out of your cooking and put it in squirt and spray bottles with water.  Let the kids paint their castles, practice their letters, and spray paint the snow! 

8. Animal Exploration

You know who has to stay outside all the time?! Animals.  Take a short walk through the yard or up the road.  Look for evidence of animals… where do the tracks lead? What do you think they eat? Where do they sleep?  Let the kids lead the way as they make some observations about the animals that are active during the winter.

9. Rolling in the Grass Snow

Just like you would in the grass… if you can get to the top of the snow – take a roll down! 

10. GET OUT!

If you can, walk or drive to the closest playground.  If you can get into the playground (you know if the snow isn’t higher than the fence – it was in 4 out of the 5 in our town) – and let the kids play on the equipment.  It was their absolute favorite part of the day! 

Good luck… at least you know after all of this they will be EXHAUSTED for bed time… most likely 🙂 

How do you make it through snow days?