As the winter trudges on, the temperature only stands to get colder, meaning one thing for parents: snow days are in store. While these days off may be a fun break for kids, for parents, they can be a minefield, meaning there’s tons of time to fill and many of your kids’ preferred activities outside of the house, from play gyms to music classes, are closed due to the weather. The good news? There are plenty of exciting activities to keep you and your kids occupied—all of which you can tackle right from the privacy of your own home. If you’re stumped on how to spend your kids’ next snow day, look no further than these fun suggestions:
Reimagine your playroom: Whether you live in a house in the country or a condo in the center of a city, a playroom can be a godsend when it comes to braving a snow day with your kids. And while it might be nice to have a luxury playroom at your disposal, like the circus-themed space at Manhattan luxury building 1010 Park Avenue, even a makeshift play space can do the trick. Get your kids excited and keep them occupied by overhauling their playroom with them when they’re home from school—rearrange the furniture, repaint some of their worse-for-wear pieces with colorful chalk paint, or add some of their art to the walls. In just a few hours, you’ll have a refreshed room that your little ones will be eager to play in again.
Tackle a huge puzzle: Want an activity that’s as good for your kids as it is fun? Break out your favorite puzzle and tackle it as a team. Puzzles are great visual-spatial tools for little ones, and doing one together can help them better understand teamwork and hone their problem-solving skills, too. If you want to get them even more excited to join the ranks of puzzle master with you, promise to get the finished product framed for their room.
Create a treasure hunt: If you’re eager to keep your kids occupied for hours at a time, turn your home into an exciting treasure hunt. Simply take some of their favorite toys (or buy some inexpensive books, games, or even snacks) and hide them around your house. Create a map with clues leading your kids to their treasure and reward them when they’ve found everything on the map with a special activity, like a movie or a dance party.
Set up indoor bowling: Who says you need to go to the bowling alley to enjoy the pleasure of knocking down pins? Simply collect some paper towel tubes, fill one end with a few beans or marbles to weigh them down, and use masking tape to secure both sides. Set them up in a triangular formation, like bowling pins, and let your little ones use their favorite soft, indoor-safe balls to knock them over.
Bake together: Aching to give your kids a productive activity on their next snow day? Instead of simply breaking out the toys, try channeling their inner chefs. Put together a gingerbread house, bake a cake, or simply try out your family’s generations-old sourdough recipe—no matter what you end up making, it’s sure to be a labor of love for the whole gang.
Coming up with ways to keep your kids entertained, regardless of the weather, may not be an easy feat, but creative parents know there are plenty of ways to keep those little ones occupied, happy, and expend some of that pent-up energy, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. Before you spend another day seeking activities to keep your kiddos busy, start take advantage of these easy ways to have serious snow day fun.