We don’t get too many full on snow days in the Pacific Northwest, so when we do, we go all out! I thought I’d put a list together for a few of our favorite activities and ways to stay entertained. Some of these would also be great for rainy days (of which we get TONS) and general winter activities. With the days being long and dark, it’s easy to feel like we’re doing circles on the crazy train and I can find myself looking at the clock at 3pm realizing bedtime is still hours off and thinking, “are you freaking kidding me?!?” with love in my heart of course. 😉 By no means do we do everything on this list during one snow day but these are a few ideas to keep you sane and entertained in case you get stuck with several in a row. So here we go with a few ideas for a memorable snow day!
Get Outside // the most obvious of choices. Our girls are at such a fun age and can finally get most of their snow gear on and play in the front or backyard mostly by themselves. We have a great group of neighborhood kids (of which I thank the good Lord for everyday) that love to play right in front of our house and build snowmen, make snow ramps, and do sledding in our yard. It’s the actual best! Theodore on the other hand, thinks he’s old enough to play outside with the big kids and can’t quite maneuver walking in snow boots. Not the best combination so we’ll see how snow days go this year.
Snow Play // this has saved us when we had tons of snow days in a row. We love gathering large bowls of snow and doing lots of fun sensory projects with them. Painting snow, using droppers and water colors or food coloring, making little villages of snow and setting up houses and cars through the town, making “potions”…bacially we gather muffin tins, measuring cups, spoons, paints or food coloring, a few drops of essential oils, and random goodies around the house (pom poms, glitter, feathers, flower petals, literally whatever) and mix and match to our hearts content.
Movie Marathon // we bust out our popcorn maker and usually some homemade hot cocoa and snuggle up together watching some of our favorite classics. Swiss Family Robinson, Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Mary Poppins, and Jumanji are on the top of our list.
Glow in the Dark Bath // after a long day playing outside, a cozy bath is the best way to warm up and wind down the day. I usually throw in a few glowsticks, tons of bubbles, and light a few candles to make it super special. This is also great to do if you lose power!
Baking // We love making brownies or sugar cookies on a snowy day! Really any treat baking while the snow falls in the background is the best! It doesn’t have to be a complicated recipe, even a box of cookie mix does the trick and still creates those magical memories.
Art Projects // I try to keep a few “winter” or snow activities on hand for that hopeful snow day. In a perfect world, I just grab a few pre-prepped things from the Target Dollar Spot but we’ve also made homemade Valentine’s on a snow day in early February. Paper, glue, glitter, markers, tissue paper, watercolors, and doilies create hours of creativity and messes. I also love this fun winter trees project that is super simple but turns out beautifully! In a pinch we’ve traced our bodies on butcher paper and decorated each “person”.
Games // We love playing games as a family and a snow day is a perfect time to do it! Card games, Spoons, BINGO (we have one with a spinner and the little BINGO balls, so fun!) and puzzles are always a hit in our house! I try to keep a game or two from Christmas unopened so we can bust it out when desperate.
Cozy Reading Time // to be honest, I love to do this any day! And a snow day or stormy rainy day is the perfect time to do it! We gather tons of blankets, stuffies, pillows, and a huge pile of books and create a cozy reading nook or fort. We read aloud together and take turns doing quiet “read to self” time. It ‘s a great way to break up the day with a little quiet time.
I know this might seem like a lot but we got stuck with two weeks of snow a few years ago and it was miserable! I vowed I would never let it happen again! I try to just have a few simple things prepped that I don’t bust out unless it’s a snow day that way it’s always there waiting and ready to go! I keep it simple and inexpensive by doing a run to the Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Store sometime in the winter months so I have these things ready. Glowsticks, easy, prepped activities and art projects, stickers, new markers or pens, even a box of cookie or cake mix have made those unexpected days soooooo much smoother! At this age, a little goes a long way and it helps me to stay sane by having a few things on the “agenda” for the day. I’d love to hear your ideas and what you do to make your snow days memorable! xo