18 Ways St. Louis Parents Can Survive Yet Another Snow Day

With snow on the ground, snow in the forecast and subzero temperatures keeping everyone indoors, St. Louis parents are starting to go a little crazy. For many of us, this potentially never ending winter break has now lasted for more than two weeks. And if you’re anything like me, you’re anxiously awaiting the day when school will start again.
 
Normally, I’m a fan of having my kids at home due to snow. I like lazy, do-nothing days when we can all hang around the house in our pajamas and my life (however briefly) ceases to revolve around tardy bells and parent pick-up lines. But this time around, Mother Nature’s rotten timing has gotten the best of me. We’ve already baked cookies and played with Christmas gifts and done more crafty activities than my not-so-crafty self can handle.
 
Now what?
 
Is it possible for parents to survive yet another snow day? Sure it is. To do so, we just need plenty of ways to entertain our kids (and possibly a well-stocked liquor cabinet) to get us through. Here's a list of ideas that may help.
 
1. Make snowmen …indoors. When it’s too cold to go outside, you can still make snowmen indoors. Shaving cream, cornstarch and a box to contain your materials are all you need to get started.
 
2. Start a snowball fight. Tired of all the fighting and whining? It’s time for a sneak attack. Grab several pairs of balled up white socks (clean ones, preferably) and start a “snowball” fight with your family. This is almost guaranteed to get everyone laughing, and is also a great way to relieve pent-up frustration.
 
3. Go sledding on Art Hill. Every child should have a chance to participate in this St. Louis tradition. Of course, you’ll need to wait until it’s actually warm enough to venture outdoors for this to be much fun.  
 
4. Make Snow Candy. Pretend you live on the prairie and put all that fresh, powdery snow to good use by making Snow Candy. This recipe is the same one mentioned by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her classic Little House series.  
 
5. Put the kids to work. There’s no rule that says snow days have to be fun for children. Keep them busy by having them wipe the baseboards or clean the bathrooms. If you’re working from home, give them an age-appropriate task to complete that will help you finish your work sooner.
 
6. Meditate. When you feel strong emotions getting the better of you, relax and de-stress by meditating.  The online guided meditations at The Art of Living take only 20 minutes – short enough that the kids won’t have time to burn the house down, but long enough to help you make it through the rest of the day.
 
7. Create an indoor obstacle course. Lack of physical activity can make kids stir crazy. Get their blood pumping and their muscles moving by giving them permission to climb over couches, build tunnels with cushions and "sled" down the stairs as fast as humanly possible.
 
8. Get friendly with your neighbors.  You can’t be the only one in the neighborhood stuck at home with children. Invite a neighbor over so the kids can have a play date and you can enjoy some adult conversation. Whether you choose to involve martinis is entirely up to you.
 
9. Have a movie marathon. No, it's not good parenting to park your kids in front of the TV for an entire day. But sometimes, you do what you have to do. Choose a few classic family films and you aren't likely to cause any permanent damage.   
 
10. Go ice skating. If the roads are clear enough to drive, visit Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park, Shaw Park Ice Rink in Clayton or one of the many indoor rinks in area community centers.
 
11. Use giant cardboard boxes to create an igloo. An igloo is even cooler than a fort when you’re a kid. Tell them to pretend their Eskimos and they're likely to play inside for hours.
 
12. Get creative with hot chocolate. Nothing says snow day quite like a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Delight your whole family by setting up a hot cocoa bar with a variety of flavors and toppings.
 
13. Make Shivery Snow Paint. This glittery, snow-themed paint will definitely take your snow day painting project up several notches.
 
14. See Frozen. Disney's latest family film is one worth seeing in the theater, so take the kids if you can. Or if you're stuck at home, younger kids will still have fun with the Frozen printables and activities available online.
 
15. Take advantage of available childcare. Need to head to the office? Line up a sitter in advance, or drop the kids off at Kidsplay, a local childcare center that remains open on snow days and doesn't require reservations.
 
16. Set up an online food drive. Teach your kids about the importance of helping others by setting up a Virtual Food Drive through the St. Louis Area Foodbank. This is a great activity for pre-teens and teens, and also a nice way to help others even when you can't physically leave the house.
 
17. Play in the snow. Once it's a little warmer – you know, something above 0 degrees –  bundle everyone up and send them outdoors. These 20 Activities to Do in the Snow will keep them busy.
 
18. Breathe. Winter break won't last forever, even if it feels that way right now. School will start again, and eventually those blissful, peace-filled hours will return. But keep this list handy, because winter doesn’t officially end until Wednesday, March 19. And that means there are A LOT of potential snow days still left on the calendar.
 
Ohmmm... I think it's time to see if this meditation thing actually works.     
 
How do you feel about snow days? What do you do to keep your kids entertained?

18 Ways to Survive Yet Another Snow Day http://t.co/K379QxsXdB #stl #snowday #parenting

— STL Parent (@stlparent) January 7, 2014