Enjoy Stress-Free Snow Days with Fun Kids’ Activities

The call has come in and school is cancelled for the day. The kids are cheering but you’re scrambling. Don’t panic! Here are at least nine super fun, easy and affordable things to do with kids that will turn a stressful day into s’no big deal.

Use the cold

Anytime the thermometer drops below zero is a good time to turn the cold into some fun. Why not freeze coloured water into “bricks” or decorative “jewels” to build and decorate outdoor forts, sculptures or snowpeople? How about blowing bubbles with soapy water/bubble solution to create pretty shapes?  Teach your kids how thermometers work by comparing the temperature inside to the reading outside. In extra cold weather, encourage children to look up the science behind these activities online with you for a subtle teaching moment.

Play with snow

Temperature permitting, get everyone into the yard to burn off some energy. Snow tends to naturally encourage children to generate their own fun, but if they’re stuck for ideas, how about creating a snow maze? For younger children, try hiding a toy in the snow and having them search for it. Bring out their inner artist by filling squeeze or spray bottles with water and food colouring and letting them paint their snowy outdoor canvas. If it’s just too cold out, throw buckets of clean snow into a large basin or the bathtub to “paint” or dig in with a sand shovel and pail.

Try icy treats! 

Make maple taffy by boiling real maple syrup for about 10 minutes and pouring it over a pan of crushed ice from your freezer. Once it cools enough to handle, kids can enjoy this traditional sweet treat. Yummy!

Be eco-crafty

Challenge your kids to create something new out of recyclables (including egg cartons, cereal boxes and empty juice containers), using the craft supplies you already have on hand, such as stickers, markers, tape and paints.

Play with your food

Build a small snowperson with marshmallows and eat it with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Bring out the old fondue pot and enjoy a warm cheesy or chocolatey snack. Bake bread, cookies, homemade pizza or pasta—anything doughy that encourages them to make fun shapes they can eat.

Lend them your camera

Kids love a chance to show their family and friends the world through their eyes. Give them a camera and let them snap pictures and film movies throughout the day to document their time off school. In addition to taking pictures from angles you’d never considered, they might hold a modelling shoot, create stop-motion animation or write and perform their own movie starring themselves, their siblings, stuffed animals or pets. At the end of the day, make a big batch of popcorn, dim the lights and have a viewing party.

Go for a walk

As long as weather conditions are safe to do so, why not bundle up, slap on your skis or snowshoes, bring out the toboggan and go for a tour of your neighbourhood? You can admire the snowfall, get some exercise and maybe even encourage the kids to help a neighbour shovel out their driveway.

Chores

To be fair, they’ll probably complain about this one, but incentivized with a reward—such as a special snack or coveted screen time—you might be surprised how much children can accomplish.

Cuddle up

Use the forced downtime to curl up on the couch or in bed and read aloud, watch movies or classic TV shows, look through old photo albums or view home movies or slides. It’s all about spending time together and reconnecting.

More kids’ activities can be found here (opens in a new window) and here (opens in a new window).