While going outside and playing in snow or ice may be fun for awhile, it gets old pretty quickly when you can no longer feel your fingers. Therefore, be prepared with some good activities that can keep your kids occupied and stimulated so they don't drive you crazy! (At least for some of the day!)
1. Start the new year with a new calendar
It is January so why not have your kids make their own calendar? You can go online and print out monthly calendars. Older kids can write in the dates and fill in important information. For younger kids, you can print out the calendars that already have the numbers on them. You can also take blank white paper and for each month the kids can draw pictures that go along with that month (e.g., hearts for Valentine's Day in February). Make sure they draw on the blank paper in the same direction the months are printed. When the kids are done, staple the pages together so that when you open the calendar the picture for the month is on top and the calendar for the month is on the bottom.
2. Make your own Bingo
You can either make a blank board (4x4 squares, 5x5 squares, etc.) or you can print one out online. Depending on what your child is working on in school or what they enjoy, you can use math or reading as the theme for your game. For children that need help with reading numbers, you can fill in numbers on the board (make sure everyone fills in their boards in a different way) and put the same numbers on separate cards (can use index cards). You take turns choosing a card and the child has to say the number they chose and locate it on their board. For older kids, you can fill in the board with math equations (e.g., 5+2 or 3*6) and put the answers to these problems on the index cards. Also, you can fill the boards with sight words your child may be learning or words that they should be able to read. Anything goes! Have your child help develop the game.
3. Dig out your puzzles
Do you have puzzles in your house that the kids have not played with in awhile? Puzzles are excellent activities that strengthen visual/spacial and problem solving skills. Need some new puzzles? Swap with friends or neighbors and everyone's kids can have a new puzzle to work on!
4. Fight boredom with board games
A board games is a great way for children to learn how to take turns, play fair, and spend some time engaging with friends or family. Again, swapping games with friends is a great way to bring new fun into the house.
5. Portraits
Have your child create a self portrait or a portrait of a sibling. Then the sibling can switch!
6. Everyone read!!!
What better way to tell your children how important reading is then by showing them! Light a fire, make some hot chocolate and curl up with your child and a good book!
7. Make your own word search.
You can draw a few grids on a paper. Your and your child can each place some winter words within your own grid and then list the words at the bottom of the paper. Then, fill in the rest of the grid with random letters. Switch papers and find the words. You can even use highlighters to find the words (the kids usually love to use them!)
8. Math Manipulatives
Your house if full of great math manipulatives. Young kids can count or add/subtract with Cheerios, and older kids can use a deck of cards to play war (you can play higher number wins, or each player can turn over two cards, add them, and the person with the highest sum takes the cards). Have dominoes? Let your child add the dots or even write the number equation that goes with the domino.
9. Scavenger Hunts
A great way for young children to practice following multistep directions is to send them on a scavenger hunt. For example, say "Go upstairs and find something soft and something blue." (Make sure your child repeats what they have to find first before going upstairs.) If two things are difficult, give them one item to find. If two items are too easy, give them more things to search for. If you have older children, you can write or type a list of items for them to locate. (Use descriptions as opposed to just the name of the items. Ex: something cold, instead of saying ice pack)
10. Making Memories
Take pictures of things you are doing during the snow day. Have your child write and/or draw a picture about all they did that day. When you print the photographs, attach them to the stories and you will be able to make your snowy day memories last!
