Some snow days are indoors
JUST FOR FUN RAISING BOYS

Snow Day Survival: 10 (non-destructive) Indoor Activities

A snow day? If you’re anywhere in the Northeast US right now, then YES!

Some snow days are indoors
Sometimes you need to stay indoors

Some snow days are perfect for going outside to make snowmen, go sledding, catch snowflakes on your tongue.  But if you’re having the kind of snow day with brutal wind and poor visibility keeping you and the kids indoors — in my case, three high energy boys who like to jump from one activity to the next quickly and leave a tornado of destruction in their path — here are 10 simple (non-destructive but some hands-on) activity ideas to pass the time.

Your key to Snow Day Survival:

  1. I Spy.  I whip out this game any time I need to get my kids to focus on something.  Super-easy, since all you need is to make up clues on the spot based on things you see in the room.
  2. Scavenger Hunt around the house.  If you’re feeling super-creative, write rhyming clues and riddles to help the kids get navigate from one place to the next.  If you’re feeling sneaky, have them hunt for things like the crumpled pajamas or random sock they left on the floor, and tell them there’s treasure in the hamper.
  3. Taste Test.  This is a fun one I had forgotten about until a friend shared a picture of her kids doing it last week.  Blindfold the kids, and have them try all sorts of foods.  The child who gets the most correct wins.  Easy samples I’ve used include garlic salt, sugar, salt, cinnamon, applesauce, ketchup, yogurt, and honey.
  4. Progressive Story.  Start a story with your children, and then pass the paper/pencil around from one child to the next, with each one adding the next part of the story.  If they’re too young to write, do it out loud.
  5. Kitchen Sink.  My kids all love this, and I loved it as a child, too.  Pull up a chair to the kitchen sink (surrounded with towels on the counter and floor if your kids are anything like my boys!), and let the kids play with soap bubbles, plastic cups, the fun water spray thingy, etc.

    Great sensory play in the kitchen sink
    Playing with soap and water and cups at the kitchen sink
  6. T.V.  Yes, I said it.  Let the kids watch TV.  A movie, even . . .

    Snuggle up with snacks and a movie for a cozy indoor activity
    Snuggled up with snacks and a movie
  7. Dance Party. Turn down the lights and turn up the music.  Dance, dance, dance!
  8. Silly Bath.  If the kids’ hands have unshriveled from playing in the sink, let them do a silly bath — squirt some extra bubbles in it, or even food coloring, and let them just play.
  9. Bake or Cook.  Cookies, if you have the ingredients.  Or pasta, if you don’t!
  10. Kitchen Potions:  If you don’t feel like really cooking or baking, let the kids do an “experiment” with kitchen stuff.  I give mine a pot, some water, and little cups filled with all different “ingredients” like cinnamon, paprika, flour, salt, etc..  Let them pour each into the pot in whatever order or amount they choose, and see what kind of concoction they come up with!
Make kitchen potions with spices, water, pots, pans, and other ingredients
pot, water, ingredients, potion!

Now, if you’ve tried all of those things, you’ve likely made it to approximately 9:00 a.m. . . . and, in my house, I will have sent the kids to time out at least twice and broken up at least eleven wrestling matches.

It’s up to you to fill the rest of the day!  🙂

#mobtruths #snowday #raisingboys #momlife #parenting

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11 Comments

  1. the kitchen sink is an ideal play place when it’s an indoor day! some lovely ideas here! #bloggingboost

    1. admin says:

      Glad you liked them! Let me know if you have other ideas!

  2. Oh my gosh — did you make it through the day!? My kids are older so they slept in (one of them slept until 10!). They pretty much amused themselves in between eating and playing xBox…one of them had to log in to his school account and do work. I did manage to get some work done, and also some baking (brownies, muffins). We have a two-hour delay tomorrow. I can’t wait to get back to “normal!”

    1. admin says:

      We survived! I had a ridiculously long conference call, so my hubby actually did a lot of activities with the kids, and then I jumped in to have a dance party, build a fort, etc. We were closed the next day, too!

  3. Oh these are good! Now, do you have a snow day survival guide for moms of kids happily busy with one of these activities? 😉

    1. admin says:

      Ha ha! Good point . . .

  4. The taste test is SUCH a good idea! I’ve never tried that with my kids, but you can bet I will the next time we’re feeling stir crazy!
    Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama recently posted…Family activism: Make protest signs with kidsMy Profile

    1. admin says:

      Yes! Try it! It’s quick and easy and fun!

  5. We don’t have snow days here but we have just faced 2 full weeks of solid rain!!! I need these activities for that! My daughter loves the kitchen sink also and we love a good dance party! Great ideas here!
    Suzy @ In the Lyons Den recently posted…Hump Day Hype Link Up #7 – Getting Over the Hump This WeekMy Profile

  6. The kitchen potions sounds like such a fun idea, we’ll have to try that one day! Unfortunately we don’t get snow days here, but definitely for rainy days!

    1. admin says:

      Sorry for delayed reply! Yes, definitely a quick, easy, fun activity for any kind of day!

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