01/28/19

Snow days have a whole new meaning as an adult – as a kid, there was nothing better – snow days meant sledding, snowmen, hot cocoa, and time with friends.

But now, Snow Day means no preschool, unplowed streets, and most kid-friendly places closed or filled with germy kids, so this morning I thought, “oh shoot, what the heck are we going to do today?” With Chicago temps “colder than Mount Everest, Antarctica, and Siberia on Wednesday,” I decided to share ways to play with snow INside. With my babes cooped up and lots of illness going around, I decided to do some indoor snow activities to pass the time.

These are all free, easy, and really fun activities to try on those cold, snowy days – enjoy!

Snow Ice Cream
Mr./Mrs. Potato Head snow balls
Snow sensory bins
Snow paint

Ways to play with snow indoors

Snow Ice Cream

snow ice cream

Scientists say that snow is safe to eat when it’s fresh and in moderation – of course, you can do your own research and use your judgement before making and eating this delicious Snow Cream.

Directions:
Mix 1 C milk (I use non-dairy milk); 1/3 C sweetener (sugar, Stevia, etc.); and 1 tsp. vanilla in a bowl. Put in the freezer while you gather snow.
Gather 8 cups of fresh snow. In a large bowl. Mix in the milk mixture until it has a nice, ice cream-ish texture.
Scoop, serve, sprinkle, and enjoy. (Affiliate link: I used our toy ice cream scooper from the Melissa & Doug ice cream set!)
Freeze the extras for later treats of bribes.

snow ice cream

Mr./Mrs. Potato Head snow balls

Use a container to scoop up some fresh snow. Put down a vinyl tablecloth for easy clean up; make snow balls and use Mr./Mrs. Potato Head pieces in them.

Snow sensory bins

Fill a bin with snow and hide different objects and toys in there – you can have kids race to see who can find the items first, use it as a counting activity, and let your kids hide things for you to find, too.

snow sensory bin

Snow paint

Mix a few drop of food coloring in a small cup of water. Let your kiddos paint with brushes, spatulas, spoons, or their hands. You can also fill a spray bottle with colored water for extra fun!

snow paint

Lasting thoughts

For more fun ideas, check out this 2 ingredient play dough and indoor activities for kids.What are your favorite ways to pass the time in winter?

Hi, I'm Lindsay!

Writer. Mom. Wife. Teacher. I'm passionate about family, manners, and learning and fervently stand up for (and write about) what I believe in. I strive to make myself and the world around me better through blogging. Don't forget to never say no to tea, cookie dough, peonies, or kindness.