My daughter’s Excel instructor taught her the following spell: on the night before a storm, wear your pyjamas backward, flush ice cubes down the toilet, and sleep with a spoon under your pillow. If it works, you’ll get a day off school! But – when the snow day finally arrives, what is there to do with the kids at home all day? We’ve got it covered. Here is our list of 10 Fun Activities for a Snow Day in Halifax:
1. Be Prepared! As Frankie MacDonald says: Be Prepared! it doesn’t hurt to get a few essentials in before the storm hits. Involve the kids by making a list of “storm essentials”, transforming a quick trip to the grocery store into a fun storm adventure!
2. Clean the backyard: Retrieve any soon-to-be buried toys, sleds and crazy carpets from the backyard before the snow hits. This pre-storm activity will help the kids burn off energy before the wintry lock-down begins.
3. Make Play-Doh: Koo-Aid Play Doh is really easy to make. Here’s a Kool Aid Play Doh video that you can watch with your kids.
4. Make Slime: Check out this fun, easy slime recipe. Our team likes to hide Playmobils and LEGO in the slime, and then keep the slime in the fridge for later. It keeps for over a week.
5. Make Homemade Finger Paint: This easy home-made finger paint recipe is a winner, and really safe for young kids. Warning: it’s not as washable as Crayola, so don’t wear your Sunday best!
6. Colouring Contest: Print out some colouring pages, like these fun, healthy-eating themed printables from Halifax-based Fun Printables for Kids. Invite the neighbours’ kids over for a fun colouring contest with official winners certificates for prizes!
7. Bake Some Cookies: Here is a list of really fun cookie recipes for kids from every family’s favourite felon, Martha Stewart.
8. Parlour Games: Once the power goes out, the fun begins. Light some candles and play some good old-fashioned parlour games such a charades or hide the thimble. Ironically, you can search the internet for more ideas for low-tech family fun.
9. Mad Libs: For school-aged kids, Mad Libs offer hilarious family fun with an educational bonus: practicing parts of speech! If you don’t already have a Mad Libs book, get one! In the meantime, here is a fun sample to play today.
10. Snow Ice Cream with Sprinkles: This recipe for Snow Ice Cream is simple to make and super-fun to eat! Hurry up – it melts quickly!
11. Make Your Own Snowflakes: We love this list of 30 Ways to Make Snowflakes. Our favourite? The sensory snowflake, made of glue and rice. Great for toddlers; no scissors required!
12. Go Sledding: Once the snow hits, be the first to hit the slopes in Halifax with our handy list of the Best Places to Go Sledding in Halifax! Sled carefully, and don’t forget your helmet!
OK, so that was more than ten, but we know you don’t mind. Have a great day, families. Keep flushing those ice cubes down the toilet!
