It’s another snow day. You should be excited about the snow, but the kids are home with you all day. You love your children, but they’re a little hyperactive when there’s nothing to do. So, to keep yourself sane, and your kids occupied, here are a few things you can do with them (or have them do on their own).
1. Plan Activities
Make a plan. When you hear that school has been canceled, it’s tempting to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Don’t do this. Get up and make a plan for the day. Have activities that your children can do either alone or with you. These activities should be something that will keep your child’s mind engaged. Check out our DIY & Crafts Pinterest Board for ideas!
So, for example, you could set up an “arts and crafts” day with supplies around the house. You could also set up a game day where your kids play board games with you or each other (if you have more than one child). This could also be a perfect time to set up a chore list and get some housework done – be creative with it, and turn cleaning into a game with points and even a reward. Perhaps your child could earn a night out at his or her favorite restaurant if he cleans up his room or gets a certain amount of housework done during the day.
2. Send Them Outside
If the weather isn’t too bad, send them outside. Sometimes, schools will cancel classes because it’s unsafe to drive. But, that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe to go outside and throw snowballs, build a snowman, or just play around.
You could even get in on the fun yourself if you’re up to it. Remember what it was like to make snow angels as a kid? What about building a snow fort and throwing snowballs? These are traditions you could pass onto your kids – take every opportunity you can get.
Of course, you might be tired. Sending the kids outside can give you the peace and quiet you need. Kids have a lot of energy. Even when it’s cold out, they can run around for hours. And, when they do come inside, they’re tired so they’re much more likely to be quiet and peaceful.
3. Have Them Watch Videos
Watching videos online is an unusual activity for a snow day, but it might be necessary if the weather is terrible. If you can find copyright-free videos online (i.e. on YouTube), you could have your children download them using a YouTube video converter.
That way, if the Internet service goes down, or if the power is out, your child can still watch them on a mobile device or something which is battery powered. Most devices these days can sustain on battery power for 7 or 8 hours, so your child will be able to entertain himself for most of the day. Failing that, you can always make sure that you have a batter pack extender or backup battery that doesn’t require electricity to charge the device. Remember to respect IP when using downloaded content.
GUEST BLOGGER: Steven Young is a grandfather of five. He enjoys sharing parenting tips with others by posting a various blogs.
