You’ll Love These 16 Great Kid Activities for Snow Days

Last Updated on February 10, 2024

There we were… on the third day of no school because of “inclement weather” in North Texas. For the third day in a row, the weather remained in the 20s, and we were staring at mostly ice out there and not snow.

So in reality … it’s looking a little more like this:

and this:

I don’t know where you fall on the spectrum — loving snow days for the freedom they bring, or fearing them because of the interruption to what you know needs to get done.

I did brave the ice once to pick up Skipbo Jr, Uno, and Operation on sale. But I needed help! The walls at home seemed to be closing in.

So eventually I broke down and asked the “Fun Mom” here at MomLife Today, Tracey, for some ideas. She was so kind to send me a whole list of ideas to fill the days with unusually fun activities. These are too good not to share with all of you just in case, like me, you find yourself wishing the snow days were over.

How do you make snow days fun?

Making snow days fun is all about keeping a positive mindset and getting a little bit creative! Here are a handful of special activities for blizzard and snow days that work well for kids of all ages. Which ones do you think your kids would love?

Form a pots-and-pans band. Very loud … but fun!
Scarf dancing (hold scarves, play music, and make the scarves dance to the music) — select the random setting on your playlist so the music tempo/style changes a lot!
Read a story and have your kids act it out.
Create art with shaving cream, toothpaste, or even conditioner — anything they can slide their hands around in. Use cookie sheets, large casserole dishes, or a table you don’t mind cleaning up.
Have extended bath time; kids love to play in water. Sit on the floor in the bathroom, leaning against the closed door, and read — adding oohs and aahs every now and then to whatever they want to show you.
Pick a wall somewhere in the house and actually “allow” crayon drawing on it. Tell them it will stay that way till spring so everyone can see what we drew during the big blizzard of 2011, but then tell them we will paint it back to the way it was (or not!).
My kids loved to make “trails” all through the house with things (I used a big box of lids we had saved), but also they did it with cards from a few card decks. We got out a map and talked about the road systems all over the U.S. And I told them to build their own road system all over the house. Then they could use matchbox cards to drive. Sometimes they didn’t even do that; they just built the road! They also did that with books, too.
Make paper plate art. Use crayons or scissors, or both.
Put on masterful plays using stuffed animals as actors … or as the audience.
I would lay down and be the road and mountain and valley for the matchbox cars — great way to sneak a one-eye-open nap and keep them busy!
Hop in the bed while they get to read and look at books with a flashlight under the covers. I’d sneak a nap … or at least rest!
Create your own “Toy Story” scenario and imagine what all the toys in your house do when you are not around. Ideate a story line together, and then go have them make it happen with the toys.
Pillow jumping. We would gather all the pillows in the house — even couch cushions — and put them in a huge pile. They would pillow jump, and I would judge with numbers.
I got out the old Easter Eggs and hid them all over the house — empty — they just loved to hunt. If you don’t have the Easter Eggs, come up with something else. At my mom’s house, she once hid a bunch of little soft, fake strawberries all over her house. Anything you have in mass you can hide, give them a basket, and let them hunt. This one lasts a good, loooooong time, and they want to do it over and over. Then let them hide for you; they love to watch me look and give me hints!
Make sock puppets, and then put on a show. Or do the old-fashioned draw-on-your-hand and turn your hand into a puppet. Duck behind the couch and use the top of the couch as the stage. Have them act out a story they already know from a movie or something you’ve seen or read recently.
Sing old camp songs and teach the kids how to sing them.

Armed with some of these ideas, I’m planning on turning off the TV and turning snow days at home into something that will put smiles on all our faces.

Do you have a fun snow day idea? Will you share it with us in the comments?