On a cold and snowy day, the kids easily start to get restless. These activities will help to keep away the winter blues and redirect all that pent up energy!
In my first Snow Day Activities post, I concentrated on indoor activities that kids could do when it was just too cold to go outside. This time, I thought I would concentrate on winter activities that actually incorporate the snow.
Snow Art. Fill spray bottles with water and a bit of food colouring. Send the kids outside and have them create masterpieces just by spraying the snow! This is so easy to do and one that can entertain from toddlers to teens and every age in between!
Snow Castles. Using empty ice cream buckets, pails, sand toys, or moulds, the kids can pack the containers with snow and make snow castles instead of sand castles. They can even add flags made from straws and paper to complete the look!
Back to Basics. Sometimes we forget that the most fun in snow can be had by playing in it the way kids used to. Making snow angels, building snowmen, making snow forts, making pictures on the snow with sticks, going tobogganing, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing are all things that are just as much fun now as they were when we were kids. Snowball fights are fun too as long as there are ground rules set to keep it safe and fun for all.
Tracks. Finding or creating tracks in the snow is fun and educational. Have your kids try to find tracks in the snow and then using books or the internet, help them discover what type of animal made those tracks. You can also have them play detective and try to figure out which family member made which human track by using clues such as foot size, treads, and weight distribution.
Bring Winter Inside. When the temperature outside dips too low, bring the snow in for a fun change of pace. You can do this by filling plastic buckets or even the bathtub with snow and then letting the kids use their imaginations to play. They can use toy cars to make roads, make imaginary scenes using small toys or make “mountains” for their dolls to ski or toboggan down.
Of course a great way to end off a snow day activity is with a nice cup of hot chocolate and a snuggle under a warm blanket!
Writing letters is a great way for children to practise their writing skills and penmanship in a practical and fun way. Sending them (by “snail mail”) instead of e-mail is especially fun. Below are some suggestions for fun and creative mail they can send.
Building Suspense – One idea that can improve your child’s creative writing abilities as well as their desire is to have them write a story and send a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend one chapter at a time. The recipient will want to know how the story ends and will phone or write to ask the child, who will then feel encouraged in their writing and be spurred on to finish that story and to write others as well.
