Snow Days

                  Okies, since it's a tad chilly here in the Southern Tier, I thought I would post (read that as swipe gleefully and post) some ideas for fun indoor outdoor activities. You know the ones that bring the experience of bringing the outdoors in, without having to brave single digit temperatures or negative double digit wind chills.  Mostly I got the idea from having entertain Feisty Pants, whose school was canceled yesterday and had a two hour delay today.   She's not sick, so apparently it is NOT too cold to go outside and I am just mean.  Just ask her.   So in desperation (one can only find so many bigfoot/alien/ghost documentary shows on tv at one time) and after some skepticism on her part, we resorted to interacting with each other.   So in no particular order, here's something that may keep you from having to mail those pesky short ones to Grandma's til spring.

                     1)  This one's probably the easiest.  Simply, bring in a large cake pan/roaster full of snow.  All the fun of a cold sensory table. Throw in few toys. If you don't mind a bit of mess add some food coloring to the whole shebang.  They'll happily play til their fingers are numb or the snow melts.  And then its just some water to slosh around with. I don't mind a little mopping if gets me one whole cup of coffee's worth of time without a grumble.  And the clean up is easy as pie. Just dump into the sink when done, dry the toys and put away.

                     2) This one's a little more geared towards a kid with at least some fine motor skills. But it kept FP's sister occupied for hours when she was small.  We would collect some twigs, branches, dried flowers, leaves etc and store them in a bag.  When we had a snow day, I would get a shoe box (or any smallish box really), some elmer's glue, and whatever little odds and ends I could think of (empty spools,those little plastic doohickies that come stuck in your pizza, boxes that jewelry comes in etc.)and finger paint and we would build a fairy house.  Think doll house as if built by hippies.  It would keep Hippie Pants busy ALLLL day and best of all, she would then use it as a toy for months on end.

                      3) If it's really cold, you can always do the instant snow trick. It's everywhere on the interwebs if you look.  Simply take a pan of boiling water outside and toss away from you. If its cold enough- poof instant snow.  Your kids will be impressed. If they are really small, they will think you are a wizard.  Don't tell them otherwise. That wizard schtick only works for so long.  Enjoy it while you can.

                      4)This one will not keep them occupied for long now, but come summer they will think you are awesome sauce.  Make a cake pans (or cookie tin) worth of snow balls and store them in your freezer.  Explain it's to keep a bit of winter with you in the heat of summer. In the summer, have a snowball fight.  They will think you are AMAZING come July.  Hippie Pants STILL does this every year.

                     5) This one we have not tried personally yet, but I think we will very next snow day.  Collect some leaves, berries and bird seeds and ribbon. Place some of each in the bottom or a muffin pan or paper cup, add enough water to cover, and a bit of the ribbon with one end free (to make a hanger) and freeze.  When frozen pop out and hang from a tree or bush in your garden. They make pretty decorations and as they thaw, they feed the birds. 

                    So, there you have it.  I hope this keeps your kids entertained and you sane. If not, well the Post Office will ship any package for a flat rate up to 70 pounds and after that they should be big enough for a bus ticket. Or you could just break down and (shudder) talk with them or something.