Wholeness Healing Center

Snow Day/Rain Day Activities

We know they are coming, especially here in Nebraska. So parents need to plan ahead so their children are surprised and have something to do besides sitting in front of the TV or spending hours with video games.

Special boxes. Take the plastic boxes that strawberries come in, get some yarn, paper, glue, beads, glitter, paint, markers, etc. and let your children decorate them. Then use them in their rooms to hold their favorite things, teaching them to organize their things, Use larger boxes to make storage for larger items or even toys. Boxes could be decoupaged with colorful cartoons or clippings from store magazines and books.

Have a picnic during a blizzard. This can be great fun if you plan ahead for the day to come! Buy some cheap leis, a new game, and the makings for smores. If you don’t have a fireplace available, a candle (mom’s supervision always) will suffice. Put up blanket tents, get a harmonica, and sing campfire songs.
Shrink art. Save styrofoam meat trays, wash thoroughly and then store away for the perfect day. Using markers, let each child create a “masterpiece”. Place on cookie sheets, pop in the oven and watch them shrink. If you use a paper punch to make a hole before heating, there will still be a hole large enough to thread fishing line through to hang as ornaments, sun-catchers, or make into mobiles.

Use the time to plan a summer vacation. Get old maps, magazines, and plenty of paper, markers and glue. Have each child plan a 3 day (or 5 day or 10 day) vacation, including which sites to see, where to stay, etc.

Plan a vacation close to home. Using your hometown, create a map of sites to see, people to visit, and the best eating places, activities available and directions for how to get there. Most kids (and their parents) forget that fun things exist close to home.

Plan a craft activity, such as making new ornaments as gifts for family for next Christmas. Having all the supplies together takes the stress out of what to do, and having an example to show gets the kids excited to begin. And what better way to instill thinking about giving to others than to plan a gift far in advance.

Work together to create a family tree. This could include pictures of each person available and each child could add personal tidbits, such as favorite color, things they most remember about a favorite uncle, or even fun times they shared with family members.

Any cooking/baking can be turned into a fun activity. Assign different jobs and bake things your kids love but you don’t usually spend the time to bake. If you have 4 + kids, let each one choose a dish and then present the meal without the other knowing, creating an unusual but fun time.

Jody Johnson, therapist at WHC, offered the following: “Some things we do when we get cabin fever is rearrange a bedroom or living room. Along with that can come spring cleaning (in the winter). We turn the stereo on to get us going. I usually end up sorting through junk drawers or closets and finding things for Goodwill. Another thing we bring out in the winter is puzzles. One other idea that kind of goes along with the baking/cooking is meal preparation. We make soups or extra sloppy joes to freeze for meals when we are busier and on the go.”

Jacqui Schlund, office manager suggested playing board games like Monopoly, Yahtzee, scrabble, etc. Along with that, Dorothy Molczyk suggested something from the past: “My mom used to play a game with us that I have played with my kids.  It is ‘hide the thimble’. Someone hides the thimble in a room in the house and with the “warmer” or “colder” cues others find the thimble.

So parents, get some ideas and things together, because a spring blizzard is bound to happen!

Tags: activities to do in the rain and snow, board games, games to do with family