School's closed, the snow is falling, and the kids are ready for adventure. Whether you want to embrace the winter wonderland outside or stay cozy indoors, we've got you covered with activities for every age group and energy level.
Outdoor Snow Activities
When conditions are safe (not too cold or windy), get outside and enjoy the snow!
1. Build a Snow Fort: Go beyond the basic snowman. Create walls, tunnels, and towers. Add food coloring in spray bottles to decorate. This can keep kids busy for hours.
2. Snow Painting: Fill spray bottles with water and food coloring. Let kids create colorful designs on the snow—it's like a giant white canvas.
3. Snow Obstacle Course: Build jumps, tunnels to crawl through, targets to hit with snowballs, and finish lines. Time each other for competition.
4. Snow Angels Contest: Who can make the biggest, most creative snow angel? Try making them hold hands in a chain.
5. Winter Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of things to find: animal tracks, icicles, pinecones, different colored objects visible against the snow. Great for younger kids.
6. Sledding: The classic! Find a good hill in your neighborhood or local park. No sled? Cardboard boxes, plastic storage bin lids, or even garbage bags can work in a pinch.
7. Snowball Target Practice: Set up targets (buckets, hula hoops hung from trees, or drawn circles) and practice aim. Much more fun than aimless throwing.
8. Build an Igloo: Use rectangular plastic containers as molds to make "bricks" of snow. Stack them in a circle, gradually angling inward. Even if you don't complete it, the building process is rewarding.
9. Maple Snow Candy: If you have real maple syrup, heat it to 235°F and drizzle over clean packed snow. It hardens into chewy candy—a New England tradition.
10. Frozen Bubble Fun: When it's really cold (below 20°F), blow bubbles and watch them freeze! They develop beautiful crystal patterns.
Indoor Activities
For when it's too cold outside, or when everyone needs to warm up:
11. Hot Cocoa Bar: Set up a station with different mix-ins: marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate chips, peppermint sticks, caramel sauce. Let kids create their perfect cup.
12. Blanket Fort Movie Marathon: Build an epic blanket fort and binge snow-themed movies. Think Frozen, The Polar Express, or for older kids, The Day After Tomorrow.
13. Indoor Snowball Fight: Make "snowballs" from rolled-up white socks or crumpled paper. Much safer than the real thing (for furniture and faces alike).
14. Baking Day: Snow days are perfect for baking projects that take time: bread from scratch, decorated cookies, homemade pizza dough. Kids can help measure, mix, and decorate.
15. Paper Snowflake Art: Fold and cut paper snowflakes—but level it up. Look up tutorials for more complex designs. Tape them to windows for decoration.
16. Board Game Tournament: Dust off the board games and have an all-day tournament with brackets. Keep score across multiple games.
17. Science Experiments: Try making snow ice cream (mix snow with vanilla, sugar, and milk), see how fast snow melts in different locations, or compare the density of packed vs. fluffy snow.
18. Lego Challenge: Set challenges: build the tallest tower in 10 minutes, create a vehicle that can roll down a ramp, build something that represents winter.
19. Indoor Camping: Set up a tent (or blanket fort) in the living room. Tell stories, play flashlight games, make s'mores in the microwave or over a candle (with supervision).
20. DIY Spa Day: Make homemade face masks (oatmeal + honey is a simple one), paint nails, do hair styling. Relaxing for older kids and tweens.
Educational Snow Day Ideas
Sneak in some learning without it feeling like work:
21. Snow Journal: Have kids write or draw about the snow day: what they see outside, what they did, how the day felt. Practice writing and observation skills.
22. Weather Station: Measure snowfall depth in multiple spots. Check temperature throughout the day. Compare to weather forecasts. Discuss why predictions might differ from reality.
23. Map Your Neighborhood: Draw a map of your street or neighborhood as it looks in snow. Label landmarks, add a key. Geography practice in disguise.
24. Read-a-Thon: Set a reading challenge—a certain number of pages or chapters by end of day. Let kids read whatever they want. Hot cocoa breaks allowed.
25. Video Letter: Have kids record a video message to send to grandparents or relatives showing off the snow and their activities. Practices speaking skills and keeps family connected.
Pro Tip: Rotate between active and calm activities throughout the day. Kids (and parents) do better with variety than five hours straight of high-energy play.
Tips for Parents
A few things to keep in mind for smoother snow days:
Set expectations: Decide in advance how much screen time is okay and communicate it. "After lunch" or "one movie" is clearer than "later."
Prep gear the night before: When you hear a snow day might be coming, get snow pants, boots, gloves, and hats ready to go. Wet gear from the morning can be dried for a second outdoor session.
Embrace the mess: Snow days are inherently messy. Put out towels by the door, accept that the kitchen will get flour on it, and plan to clean up tomorrow.
Include quiet time: Even on exciting days, kids benefit from some downtime. Reading, puzzles, or just lying on the floor listening to music can reset energy levels.
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