Plenty to do on snow days

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Angela Hughes photos The snow is piled high at the Bedford High School and the Ross A. Lurgio Intermediate School parking lot. Students have been treated to a handful of snowdays this month and winter is only half over.

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Kids all over the region have been successful with their snow rituals of wearing their PJs inside out and leaving a spoon under their pillows in hopes that confusing the snow gods will prompt another blanket of snow resulting in a day off from school.

While snow days can leave parents in an uproar trying to schedule activities and childcare, the following ideas can help take the edge off of planning a fun-filled winter day with your young ones.

Don’t use the winter weather outside as an excuse to stay cooped up inside. Bundle up and consider the snow day a perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy activities with your children.

Test the theory that no two snowflakes are alike. Grab a black piece of construction paper and hold it up to “catch” snowflakes. Make it scientific and educational by examining each of the snowflakes with a magnifying glass.

Create a snow obstacle course that will challenge even the best athlete. Have your children weave through obstacles that they have pre-built using gardening equipment. One station might include filling up a wheelbarrow with snow as fast as they can to beat the stop watch.

Graffiti snow art doesn’t require artistic talents and kids will go bonkers over it. Fill up multiple spray bottles with water and a different colors of food coloring in each bottle. Send the kids out to paint striking snow murals that would make even da Vinci proud.

Don’t forget that kids love scavenger hunts or an outdoor winter version of “I Spy.” Look for object outside like a type of tree such as an evergreen or fruit tree, a bird’s nest, an icicle or items you have placed, such as a scarf or pieces to a snowman kit.

Tired of the boring snowman? Michelangelo would appreciate a snow sculptures to spruce up your outdoor museum. Load snow into a garbage can or pail depending on the size you are aiming for. Press or stomp down the snow to compact. When the snow is firmly packed, turn the can upside down to release the snow. Remember to carve from top to bottom. Use a garden trowel to carve the basic shapes and a chisel to create grooves and shallows. A putty knife will spruce up the intricate details.

If the weather outside is frightful, you can still have a delightful time in doors with your kids.

Arts and crafts lovers will be ecstatic with a homemade version of a snow globe. Gather a jar with a lid (baby food jar, jelly jar, pickle jar, etc.), a waterproof figurine to go inside the snow globe, silver and white foil glitter, aquarium sealing glue or the likes, florist clay, distilled water and some mineral oil. It doesn’t need to be Christmas to create a magical snow globe of your dreams. For instructions on construction, go to http://crafts.kaboose.com/snglobe.html.

The little kids will appreciate creating snowflakes inside with spaghetti noodles. Break up pieces of spaghetti into different length and glue the pieces onto construction paper to form their own snowflake. Little fingers will love the challenge. Get messier by creating a snowflake with shaving cream on a separate piece of paper. Not only is the good for artistic development, it will keep kids busy for hours.

Of course, books by a fire can never get old. Read snow-themed stories to the kids such as “The Snowy Day,” “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” “The Snow Queen,” “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” or “The Snow Geese: A Story of Home.” Older kids will enjoy classics such as “Little House on the Prairie.” Imagine what life would have been like on the plains.

And don’t forget that all of these activities require food and hot chocolate on hand to feed the hungry hordes. Work with the kids to make recipes like homemade wheat bread and chili for the healthy palate and pizza dough for those craving something familiar. Make it into a competition – let the kids create their own home made pizza creations. Offer awards for the most artistic or creative pizza.

While the pizza is cooking watch winter-themed movies such as “Snow Dogs,” “The Gold Rush,” “March of the Penguins,” or “Groundhog Day.” Older kids will love skiing and snowboarding films like the Warren Miller Ski Movies.

And if you don’t have kids and just a day off from work, take advantage of the opportunity to work on scrapbooks or photo-albums, clean out a closet or feng shui your home.

With a little planning, a snow day can be the perfect day.