Most families who live in a region where there is a possibility of snow should come to expect a day or two or more SNOW DAYS where school and offices are closed. My most unfavorite Facebook posts are those where moms complain that their "kids are home yet again from school" or "I think I will go crazy if they are home again tomorrow" sort of comments. First, I have no patience for these moms. These are YOUR kids, you shouldn't be complaining that you were blessed with whole day with your children. Second, prepare for these days. Have something up your sleeve for some fun activities that you all can do together during these days that you are snowed in. Make some memories and enjoy the time you have with your kids. They are only kids for short time. You WILL miss these days when they are no longer living in your home.
Prepared Mom Tips:
1. Scan Pinterest for fun, easy activities to do with the kids. You can do this the morning of. I mean you are already awake from the 5 am phone call notifying you school was closed. Hop on the computer right then and start planning your day while the kids are still asleep.
2. Bake something with them. Make it easy like a box cake mix and then decorate with snowflakes and celebrate the snow. Or make cookies with snowflake cookie cutters or whatever you have on hand. Better yet, just make the "drop and bake" cookies. Mixes last a long time in your pantry so stock up on a few cakes and cookies mixes when they are on sale. Nothing better than a cup of hot cocoa and a warm cookie.
3. Play board games, card games, or even I Spy with them.
4. If you can, go out and play in the snow with the kids. Build a snow man or even a snow family in your yard.
5. Hike to a local convenience store and buy some hot chocolate or hike to a friends house and visit with them for a bit.
6. Pop popcorn and have a movie marathon of everyone's favorite movies. Have them write the title on a slip of paper and then draw the strips out of a hat for fairness and random selections. If you have a sofa bed in the living room, open it up and everyone lay on the bed to watch TV.
7. Create a scavenger hunt in the house for random objects or for things you have been looking for.
8. If you want to get overly ambitious, use the snow days for a major cleaning in their rooms. Sort and organize toys, make piles for donation, and maybe even rearrange the furniture.
9. Sit together and go through old photo albums and tell stories of when the kids were really little.
10. Get out those cookbooks and cook up a great big dinner with everyone helping. Don't worry about the mess, you are making memories! Take a few pictures while you are at it.
11. Pull out old wrapping paper or butcher paper and the crayons and markers and make huge wall murals.
12. Pull a book off the shelf and read it out loud to your kids. My teens still love to be read to. I will bet that yours will too.
13. Have a family competition using your Wii, XBox, or Playstation games. Get everyone involved.
Nothing frustrates me more than a mom who says, snow days are an unplanned day "so we have nothing to do". Plan for these days. Tuck some activities in a box in your closet and pull out the "fun box" on these days. Don't be frustrated because you have to spend yet another day with your kids. Make those days fun and make some memories.
I hope these suggestions get your creative juices running and you are able to make the best of these snow days.
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