A few weeks ago, my five year old and fifteen year old were both stuck at home for two days because their school was closed due to snow. In order to keep them active and not in front of the television the whole time, I came up with some interesting projects and activities a few years ago to keep them occupied without too much television watching.
Here are a few ideas you also can use to get the brains stimulated during these off days:
- Family Game Day- We actually have these about once every four or five months in my house. You basically break out all of the board and card games and get your game on. We played Connect Four, Uno, and Monopoly. And while my 5 year old had a little trouble playing Monopoly, she enjoyed being the banker and having control of the money. Game day keeps everyone occupied while having fun and my kids really enjoy it! We have also added the Wii in this mix as well.
- Movie time- My kids and I are movie buffs so on off days, we break out the DVDs, make some microwave popcorn, and play movies. We watched Cars, Spy Kids 2, and Spiderman 3 this last time, and when they were over, we critiqued each film.
- Cooking Tutorials- We usually invent recipes with what we already have in the house, which is kind of fun because most of the time, I don’t have all the necessary ingredients to make things. The kids learn to use what we have in order to make a meal and seem to have fun in the process.
- Salvation Army- I have the kids go through their items and put into trash bags what they no longer want or cannot fit. When the weather breaks, I take it to the Salvation Army or the Goodwill.
- Road Warrior- I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with new tires, so its not much for me to get around the area. The major streets and highways are usually clear, so we will pile in the truck and go to the mall and walk around, or to the movies, or something that gets them out and active.
- Snowman & Snow angels- If the weather is not too frigid (and last time it was) we tackle going outside and playing in the snow. My fifteen year old isn’t too keen on this but my five year old loves playing in the snow, no matter the temperature. She makes a pretty mean snowman too.
What are some of activities that your family participate in during snow days? Let me know by using the comment section below.
My 5 yr old enjoying the snow!
Those are great ideas.! Thanks!!
Great ideas! We always end up doing a Freecycle day when we're stuck at home. I go through old clothes and toys with my son and let him choose what he'd like to give away. He watches me as I type and submit the Offer, and then we read the responses together and choose someone. I think it makes giving more "real" for him and now he looks forward to our Freecycle days. Giving plus de-cluttering is an awesome way to spend the day!
Thank you! Its great when you can have an activity that serves many purposes. I live by that! LOL
Thanks for the ideas. We’re movie buffs too. We watched about 6 movies. I love breaking out the old ones. Like Toy Story, The Bee Movie & Monster Inc.
Those are great movies! My daughter loves Pixar and animation.
It's really great that you add interaction after the movies. I let my babies watch too many movies on rainy days, and it's always raining
Great ideas!
I like the cooking lessons! maybe the kids can get together and cook for mom some day soon! I know my grandsons ( both under 5 ) enjoy helping to cook.
You sound like a involved & fun mom!
Faythe @GMT
Great ideas! As a Florida native I can say with out a doubt how much I'd rather build sand castles than snow men!
What part of Florida? I lived in Clearwater for 10 years before moving here.
This is a great post. I need to concentrate on getting the kids away from the TV. It just gets so HOT here it is hard to get outside sometimes. Some indoor activities will help a lot!
Lee
My son was home for a week due to snow and we had a ball. he is a MEAN Monopoly player and he loves the LIFE game, so we played those 2 games. I am a decorative artist, so we did lots of painting … and everyday – not just snow days – I have 30-45 minutes of quiet time to just READ. This is all year round.
Another thing that my son loves to do – is look through the old pictures of family…and he loves movies, so we do a ton of movie watching.
At 11, even my son knows that there is nothing on television – so for us – snow days are always fun days.