The arrival of a snow day can make children ecstatic, but parents often react differently. While your children may scream “Yay” and run around the house with joy, you’re likely wondering “How will I entertain them?” Don’t worry, moms, you’ve got this! You just need to come up with a series of fun and engaging activities that will keep them from going stir-crazy and tearing up the house. Breathe easy, we have several ideas that will make any snow day or bad weather day a little more enjoyable when you’re stuck in the house. Get your supplies together now and you’ll be ready the next time you get that “school closed” alert!
Fancy Spa Day
Many moms love going to the spa for a pedicure or a manicure, but why not bring that fun to your home? Stop in your local discount store for a few bright shades of nail polish, a nail file, and toe separators. If you don’t have a pair of nail clippers and a bottle of nail polish remover, make sure you stock up on those as well. Another must is a pair of robes for mom and daughter. Satin robes will add a luxurious touch for mom while a kid’s robe is just the pick for a cozy day inside. Prepare a pitcher of water with fruit or cucumber just like the spas make. Let your child sip their water while you work on their nails and toenails. For added fun, get a pack of nail stickers featuring a favorite Disney Princess, My Little Pony, or Hello Kitty. They’ll love looking down at their nails and seeing their favorite character each time they do. And satin robes are great to wear throughout the year, so they’re a perfect choice for your wardrobe. You’ll find that satin robes are a must-have for your next spa day and you’ll use it again and again.
Paper Airplane Contest
This one’s easy. Take a bit of computer paper and fold a series of paper airplanes. Each “pilot” should get 2-4 planes to throw. You can go with the classic fold, or browse an online library for ideas. Once you’ve assembled all of your paper airplanes and marked them with each pilot’s initials, lay down some packing tape on a tile or hardwood floor to create a landing strip. Mark it off with different scores. For instance, planes closest to the thrower can be 5 points, then 10 points, 15 points, and so on. Take turns seeing who can throw their plane the farthest. Once you’ve thrown all of the airplanes, see whose plane won the highest score. Tip: If you can’t put tape on your floor, try using a cardboard box with holes cut out for each score or use a series of hula hoops.
Indoor Camping Fun
Who said that camping has to be outside? Not us! Pop open your tent or construct a fort using pillows and blankets. Don’t forget the sleeping bags! Next, grab your favorite snacks like trail mix, pretzels, cookies, marshmallows, apple slices, and other treats. It’s time to start the “campfire” and you just need several paper towel tubes and some construction paper. Tape the tubes in a circle, and those are the “logs.” Then cut up your orange and yellow construction paper into flames, and tape them to the tubes. Voila, a fire! Turn off the lights and grab a flashlight to tell spooky stories.
Create a Scavenger Hunt
Want to have your kids burn off a little energy while still engaging in fun and interactive play? Do a scavenger hunt! All you need is a sheet of things to find, a pen or marker, and rooms to scavenge! Your list can be as long or as short as needed. Children age 4-6 will do well with 6-8 items to find while other children can hunt for 9-12 items. Don’t forget to make it as easy or hard as their skills will allow. Try making it fun but challenging. Instead of listing “a sock,” say “A colored sock.” You can even change it up a little, such as making the scavenger hunt all about books. “Find a book with a dog in the story” or “This is a book about a real person.” Once your child has found all of the books on the list, snuggle up for reading time.
Have a Slime Party
It’s time for things to get a little slimy. If you haven’t made slime before, you don’t know what you’re missing. Slime making is the perfect blend of messy and fun without being too stressful. And slime just takes a few ingredients and it will entertain your kids for over an hour.
Take a bottle of Elmer’s school glue (4 oz), 2 tablespoons of contact lens solution, and 1-2 cup of shaving cream. Grab a few jars of food coloring and get to work making your slime! Take the glue and your color(s) of choice and mix in a bowl, then add in the contact lens solution, and stir well. Follow that up with your shaving cream, keeping in mind that the more shaving cream you add, the thicker the slime will be. Let your kids stir up the mixture and pull out your soft fluffy slime. You can add glitter, sequins, or anything other decorations.
The next time you see snow on the horizon, look to these ideas to make your day a little easier and fun.