8 Snowy Day Activities Your Entire Family Can Enjoy
Updated: Aug. 04, 2021
Baby, it's cold outside. So go out and play!
Make DIY snow paints
Fill either spray bottles or squirt bottles (or a combination of both) with water and add a few drops of food coloring to each. Take the spray paints outside and create artwork in the snow. Kids can splatter as much of the dye as they’d like, while parents can rest assured it will all be melted away by next week.
Blow a frozen bubble
If it’s cold enough (and your kids have ample amounts of patience), you might be able to blow a few frozen bubbles. Create a soapy formula—a mixture of water and baby shampoo or dish soap should do the trick—and take it outside. Dip your bubble wand into the mixture and blow a bubble slow enough that it stays on the wand. The bubble should freeze over into an orb-like ball before it pops.
Go sledding or tubing
Bundle up the entire family and head to the nearest hill for this wintertime classic. All you’ll need is a sled or a tube and a cup of hot cocoa waiting for you when you return.
Build colored ice sculptures
This one takes some foresight, so set it up the night before an expected snow day. Fill ice trays and small food containers with colored water (time to break out the food dye again!) and allow them to freeze overnight. The next day, remove the ice and take it outside. Give the pieces to your kids and allow them to sculpt them together like blocks or Legos. To weld two pieces of ice together, pour a bit of water over the point of contact and hold the pieces in place for a few seconds. If the temperature stays chilly enough multiple days in a row, you can add to the sculpture whenever you’ve frozen new pieces of ice.
Make maple syrup snacks
While making a snow fort or a snowman is fun, making snow candy is even better (because you can eat it!). To make maple candies, pour a cup of pure maple syrup into a small saucepan and heat until boiling. Remove the pan from heat and bring it outside to a square of untouched snow. Pour the syrup onto the snow in foot-long lines. Press a popsicle stick into one end of the line and roll the stick down the line so that the hardened syrup wraps around it. You’ll be left with a tasty maple syrup candy pop. Enjoy your tasty treat in the warm living room while you watch these fun movies that the whole family can enjoy.
Play tic-tac-toe
Put a wintery spin on tic-tac-toe by drawing the game into the snow. For even more fun, create your Xs and Os with sticks, rocks, or pinecones.
Catch and examine snowflakes
Scientists say there are seven types of snowflake structures. Think you can identify them all? Test yourself. Find a piece of black construction paper or fabric and place it someplace cold, but out of the way of the snow (this step is to make sure the snowflakes you catch don’t melt on contact). Once the sheet has a bit of chill to it, bring it someplace you can catch a few flakes. With the help of a magnifying glass, the black backdrop should allow you to see each one.
Build a snow obstacle course
Get creative and create an obstacle course or relay race. Create hurdles by packing snow into mounds, or bring in warm-weather toys like pool noodles or hula hoops to set up challenges or lanes. If you have squirt bottles of food dye, you can paint a bullseye into the snow and finish your obstacle course with a snowball toss. Whoever gets their snowball the closest to the center first, wins. Game on!
