10 Fun Ways To Keep the Kids Amused and Stay Sane on a Snow Day

Snow! I love it. I grew up in a part of Sydney where it has never snowed in the history of snowflakes, ever. In fact, I don't even recall getting frost on the car and if the temperature dropped below 15C (60F) we'd huddle around the heater (singular, in the living room) and talk like the world had gone mad.
So to have a snow day (currently -1C) and see the weather in my home town is presently 38C at 5.30pm makes me laugh and shake my head a little at the difference.

So, snow days are cool, right? My kids think so, anyway. I can handle one day off school, possibly two at a pinch as long as it's midweek and they're getting along nicely so I can still work. If your kids are bored of building snowmen, throwing snow at each other and sledding, here are some activities to help keep them amused and keep yourself sane.

1. Painting in the snow - a squirty bottle filled with water and a bit of food coloring lets you make not just yellow snow, but red, blue, green and whatever other colour you can mix up for them to squirt a masterpiece on that massive white canvas
2. Depending on how packed the snow is, make your own miniature golf course
3. Build snow-castles with buckets and spades
4. Build an igloo or fort. This is great if you have a lot of snow and it looks set to stay for at least a few days. It makes for much better snow fights.
5. Go for a walk and take photos of everyday things disguised by the snow. I have a cheap digital camera my 5 year old loves to use.

If they're fed up with playing outside why not

1. refuel them with hot chocolate and ice-cream. Fill your mug three-quarters full with hot chocolate then add a big scoop of ice-cream and a spoon. Marshmallows are so 2012.  

 
 2. Make snowflakes (these instructions are from Let Kids Create)

3. Build a den or indoor fort
4. Use masking tape to set up a race track for cars around the floor of your house (and over soft furniture)
5. Have an indoor picnic (unless you're serving soup)

I have to leave it there because it's now light enough to see so I'm being badgered to help find the 5 year old's waterproofs so he can go play.

If you're out today, post a link in the comments to your snow photos so we can see them!