Oh No Days! How to Keep an Atlanta Snow Day Fun and Active

Snow days.

Kids love them…but moms dread ‘em.

Not because they don’t love being home with children. That part is great!

Parents just don’t love being home with bored children. Because a bored kid is a begging kid. And rest assured – they aren’t going to be begging to spend their time folding laundry or scrubbing the baseboards. They’re going to be whining for TV or video games or iPad time.

And that’s the part we dread. Because even the most disciplined caretaker can eventually cave to a day-long onslaught of complaining. Kids whine because whining, well, works.

But wait! There is another option. A few options, actually.

When the Atlanta weather forecast predicts a snow day or two, there are ways we can spend the day having quiet, stimulating, bonding fun. Ways we can end the day without feeling guilty about too much screen time. Here are just a few ideas to keep the little Atlantites in your house occupied and whine-free.

Pro Tip: The trick to keeping them engaged in these activities is to have them lead up to something at the end of the day. Once they know they’re working towards a goal or event, they’re less likely to lose interest and walk away.

Once Upon A Me Me Me

If there is one topic that kids are endlessly fascinated by – it’s themselves.  You know how they love to regale you with what their favorite color, animal, number, food and shape is? Well, have them commit it all to paper. Take a stack of printer paper and staple it together. On the top of each page write “My Mommy”, “My Daddy”, “My Favorite Animal”, “My Favorite Dinner” etc.  Tell them that they will be given a special time to present their book to the family at dinnertime, so they should work on making it the most awesomest book ever.

Sock Hoops!

This is one of the easiest, safest and most ingenious indoor activities out there.  Collect whatever ‘receptacles’ you can find around the house and arrange them in a skee-ball like arrangement on the living room floor. The more the merrier. You can use small wastebaskets, big salad bowls, buckets, whatever you can find. Tape numbers on the outside of the containers and then – using rolled up socks – have kids toss them in like little basketballs. Grab a white board to use for a scoreboard and  have them write down their own scores, if they are old enough. The first one to win 4 games out of 5 gets a prize. You’d be surprised how engaged kids get into winning this one!

The Cooking Show

Perfect time to clear out the pantry! Find any expired or stale food that you should have discarded long ago and have them go to town with it on your (covered) kitchen table.

Take photos of the concoctions they create with them posed next to them. Follow it up with a stuffed animal or doll “dinner party” where they serve their masterpieces.  (Unless you yourself want to taste the vinegar, cornstarch and chocolate sprinkle “soup”.) To help them really get into their role, have them first make their own cute little chef’s hat. We found this simple YouTube instructional video that shows you how!

So there are just a few ways you can keep your kidlets distracted and out from under your feet, even if just for an hour or two.  And sometimes, that’s all you need to get your household chores done. Because after all – why shouldn’t you also take a snow day off? I bet you have a hidden talent for sock hoops yourself…