Ask A Detroit Expert: 5 Best Snow Day Activities
3804 Hazel Ave.
Lincoln Park, MI 48146
(313) 388-1499
www.blessedhopechurch.net
It's a snow day! Do you stay indoors or play outside?
Reverend Crystal Schippling is the Associate Pastor at Blessed Hope Christian Church. She works with the church to provide shared meals through the food pantry and shared meals programs, as well as connecting those in need with referral agencies, case management and support groups. With help from a variety of churches, businesses and individual volunteers, families are able to work through problems and find hope. Reverend Crystal's experience with snow day activities involves her eleven grandchildren, time running a daycare center and many pleasant wintry years growing up in Minnesota.
Finger-paint! Use simple items: sugar, salt or cornstarch. Go to Finger-Paints for the whole recipe. Once paint is made, spread paint tarps under the table and on top. Kids should wear swim suits and old T-shirts with no shoes. Give kids paper shopping bags, wrapping paper, etc. and Llet them paint! When they're done, they can go shower in bathing suits. Toss the tarps, cap the paints and hang pictures on the fridge.
Send the kids out to collect clean snow on a paper plate. Use regular syrup. Let children squeeze patterns over snow on the plate. Leave it outside for 10-15 minutes and the snow will harden and peel off the plate. It's yummy alone, or great with hot chocolate!
Most folks have white athletic socks. Roll those socks into ball shapes and split kids evenly among "teams." Use chairs as the "battle line" between teams. Give a "ready - steady - go!" Watch out — you may be a fair target too!
Plan a family night where kids develop a menu with prices. Get ingredients and recipes for meals. When the restaurant opens, have kids use a small notepad and pencil for taking orders and pillow cases pinned in back for aprons. Menus in hand, they'll seat the family, take orders, serve food and make sure customers are happy. Bring the bill. Have the family pay with Monopoly money or real money and split it among workers.
Related: Ask A Detroit Expert: Keeping Your Kids Entertained On A Snow Day
Everyone makes a trail in the snow that intersects with twists and turns. Someone is dubbed the "fox," and everyone else "hounds." The fox gets a short lead, then hounds start chasing! The players must stay within the trail created. When the fox is caught (no tackling), the fox picks the next person to be fox, and the game begins again. This is a good game to play at dusk or in the dark if area can be lit.
Push back snow from corner of yard and create a leveled area. Pour water from a hose over the floor and let the area stand until frozen. When it's almost set, sweep over it to remove bumps. This creates a small "skating pond" to slide on with boots, etc.
Draw pictures in the snow using branches or fingers and spray the snow images with colored water (use food coloring and spray bottles). Practice mixing colors to produce other colors. Make snow picture memories!
Buy wicks (these are inexpensive) and use saved milk cartons. Find old candles, melt them in a double boiler (pans over heat works), and watch closely. Add broken crayons to add color. Wrap the wick around a pencil and rest the pencil on milk carton. Make sure the wick is close to the bottom. Then, have the kids go outside to pack snow and then jam-pack snow in the carton, not moving the wick. (Use serving spoons to pack snow in carton!) Pour wax over the snow in carton — watch the levels. Set the candle back in garage or outside and let it cool for at least one hour. Peel away carton and there is a unique candle ready to be burned!
Related: Best Free Winter Activities For Families In Metro Detroit
