During a recent snowy day, I found myself in a bit of a predicament. A sniffly, coughing, teething baby, a toddler starting to come down with the same cold her little sister had, and that same toddler was DESPERATE to go out and play in the fresh snow. I couldn’t blame her; I love the snow, too, and there is just something magical about everything under a blanket of fresh white powder. But, alas, the combination of sick kids and a mama who didn’t want to risk them getting worse didn’t add up to outside time. Oh, and it was only 10 degrees!
This winter you may find yourself in a similar predicament, or maybe it’s just too cold, or you don’t want to mess with all the snow gear. So here are a few ways we enjoy the snow – without going outside.
1. Indoor Snow Play – I grab whatever plastic container I have (which sometimes involves dumping out some toys) and I go outside and fill it up with snow. I lay out towels or old rugs and the container of snow and let my daughter go at it. We sometimes put small plastic toys in there or use spoons, and even sand molds to play with. We all stay warm and it makes for great imaginative play.
2. Snow Painting – Again, I fill a plastic bin with snow and lay on an old towel. We use food coloring but you can also use liquid watercolors (careful, both options may stain clothing and your hands). I let my daughter squirt one color at a time on top of the snow and then we used plastic knives to swirl and mix it around. We simply took paper and pressed it down on the surface of the snow to make our paintings. We remixed and added more color and just had fun experimenting. The end result was pretty cool, too!
3. Snow Ice Cream – Finally, for a delicious snow treat, you’ll need some fresh (and clean!) snow. I add a splash of milk, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix. I’m not a big recipe follower so I just add until it tastes good. My daughter loves to help in the kitchen so having her pour ingredients and mix is the perfect job. We top with sprinkles and chocolate sauce to make it a little sundae. Yum!
Do you have any other fun ways to enjoy the snow indoors? I’d love to hear!