21 Things to do With Your Kids on a Snow Day

This post is from a recent speech I had to write using the basis "21 things to do with your....".
We've had a slew of snow here so that inspired my topic and title of my speech called "21 Things to do With Your Kids on a Snow Day.  I really enjoyed writing this and hope you all enjoy it too.  If you have kids you're sure to get a kick out of it!

21 Things to do With Your Kids on a Snow Day

Snow days bring the challenge of finding activities for your children. This can especially be true of numerous snow days in a row. I’ve compiled a list, of sorts, for a typical snow day at my house. With three young boys ages 6, 7, 10 and a 14 year old daughter I never run out of things to do on a snow day.


The most obvious thing to do on a snow day is to play in the snow. That doesn’t sound too complicated. Just gather a couple hundred gloves, hats, extra layers of clothes, boots, and coats and pass out to each child according to size. Teenage girls may not be too quick to come out of their warm surroundings to spend quality time with their younger brothers on a snow day. Texting is too complicated in a snowball fight and heaven forbid what the snow might do to one’s hair! When the last layer of clothes is soaked through to the skin and our lips are blue it’s time to come back inside. The two loads of snow soaked laundry now can be washed while waiting on the snow-soaked freshly mopped floor to dry. This completes items 1, 2, 3 & 4 of our 21 things to do on a snow day.


After all that cold they’re going to need something to warm their selves up with! Nothing does that better than hot chocolate! Now this will get the teenager out of their room guaranteed. She’s 14 and it’s chocolate, need I say more? After everyone enjoys the last drop of hot chocolate you’ll realize that 5 empty cups and the dishes leftover from breakfast are quickly piling high. Since the teenager has graced you with her presence, it is now time to enforce her chore of doing the dishes. There will be whining to ensue directly after this takes place.


The 6th thing you can do on a snow day is a favorite of my boys. You make bird feeders out of pinecones (or pinecorns if you ask my 6 year old) and roll them in peanut butter and then in bird seed and hang them in trees outside. All will go well until the smell of the peanut butter (despite it being covered in bird seed) will overtake the 6 year old and he’ll have to eat it.


Now comes number 7 on our list. Hop on the internet and research information on our birdseed to ensure that it will not be harmful to a child’s digestive system. We were in luck! It was just going to be some extra fiber in his diet and that never hurt anyone.


Now it’s on to number 8. After all that birdseed rolled around on the table, floor and chairs it is apparent that it was quite a messy little craft. Mom gets to get the vacuum out and suck all the miniscule bits of crumbs and seeds off all the kitchen surfaces. This is quicker than sweeping because sweeping little balls of bird seed turns into a game of tag pretty quickly.


Number 10 on our list is a favorite of mine; Popcorn and a movie with blankets and pillows in the living room. It’s amazing how quickly kids can dismantle their beds for a blanket and pillow when we do this. While the kids are getting their nests made in the living room, Mom is in the kitchen popping popcorn and filling 4 individual bowls full. It’s almost necessary to count one kernel at a time to ensure that everyone has the same amount. Heaven forbid someone get one more kernel than the other one. It would be devastating. The kids will go ahead and start their movie without you but don’t worry, counting all that popcorn will fly by before you know it. After each kernel is accounted for and all bowls are distributed, it’s time for Mom to collapse in the recliner and enjoy this movie and break from running around!


Before mom even gets her seat warm and all the popcorn is consumed the kids decide ¼ of the way through the movie to move on to number 11 on our list which is video games. Wouldn’t you have guessed that all blankets and pillows are still in the living room along with bowls and unpopped kernels scattered across the floor. Good thing we left the vacuum out from cleaning up the bird seed because we’re going to need it again for our number 12 which will be cleaning up the living room! Blankets and pillows that were picked up will attribute to number 13 on our list followed by number 14 of making the beds again. Numbers 15, 16, 17 all involve fixing lunch and cleaning up lunch’s mess and the kitchen yet one more time.


Stomachs that are full are happy stomachs until someone starts arguing over number 18 on our list which is playing a board game. Someone is a cheater and someone is a poor loser and someone just wants to be the ruling tyrant of all board games and make their own rules as they play. This causes the sleeping teenager to scream from her slumber and yell harshly at her brothers.


After an entire day spent together it’s apparent that everyone needs to be split up into their own rooms and space for an extended period of time which is our 19th item of the day. I like to refer to this time as “Individual” time and each child can pick an activity to do alone such as reading, coloring, playing toys or whatever item they choose to do. They’ll get settled down and after being apart for so long they’ll convince you they are ready to behave and be back in the company of their brothers. Wrestling will ensue shortly after this time spent alone to make up for any lost time while they were in solitary confinement.


Before you know it Dad is home from work. Number 20 on our list is suppertime which is a favorite of my family. It’s about the only time we all get to sit together and find out what each person has done for that day. Dad is sure to be overwhelmed at all the activities that have happened during the course of the day and will likely make comments such as, “I can’t hear everyone talking at one time” or “ I’m trying to talk to your mother” or “ What’s going off in here?” or “Allison have you been in your room all day?” or “Well hello D, the dog hasn’t got a lick of water” or “Why is every light in this house on?” or “I just took the garbage out. I think I’m going to get an industrial dumpster from Scotty’s and sit it at the end of the driveway” or “Have they been like this all day?” just to name a few.


Number 21 is a grouped event that involves watching some television while each child takes turns getting their baths. Boys are really something. You have to be very thorough when telling a boy to go take a shower. If you don’t give a step by step list of what is to take place during his bathing time there are sure to be steps skipped altogether. In precise order you must say as follows; get your towel and washrag, go into the bathroom, undress, turn on the water in the shower, get in the shower and close the curtain, wet your hair and entire body, wash your entire body with soap making certain that your bottom is the LAST thing washed, rinse your entire body, wash your hair with shampoo and rinse your hair, turn off the water and open the shower curtain and step out to dry yourself off completely with your towel. If you leave any one part out it will not end well. Trust me.


The last step of this item number 21 is my favorite. Tucking my kids in bed and praying for them absolutely reminds me that I am doing exactly what I was meant to do. Despite any exhaustion or headache that may have resulted from a snow day I wouldn’t have it any other way.