Last Minute Snow Day Party: Craft and Food Ideas

Oh no! You woke up to find out the kids don't have school. Of course other parents in the area remember that you don't work (or can take off, or are home for the day). Now you have a small group of children in your home for the day. I have come up with a fun list of food and snacks that you can think ahead for now so that when that snow day comes you will be ready, and the coolest house in town for snow day fun!

Lets start with food, because kids demand to eat:

What to drink? Well, it is a good idea in the winter to have some bottled water on hand just in case your pipes freeze and you can't get out to find fresh water. So, you can make up some water bottle labels ahead of time to use when the time is right.









Need a snack and an activity? Try making some fancy pretzel rods. The ingredients won't go bad quickly, so you will likely have them all on hand. Or you can buy them now knowing they won't spoil before the end of winter, and your family would likely eat the ingredients anyway!













Need something for lunch? Most people
(I hope!) have a loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly, butter or margarine, and sliced cheese. No, we won't combine all those ingredients into one sandwich, but you will have two alternatives. You can make PB and J sandwiches and cut them into shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. There are commercially made sandwich cutters that are made to have very little waste of your sandwich bread as you are cutting designs.

 The other option is to mix food coloring with your softened butter or margarine and let the kids put the colored butter on the bread in the design they want before you cook it. *Note: the food coloring color will intensify a bit as it is being cooked onto the bread. Also, don't over cook your bread because the more you "crisp" the sandwich the more the brown of the bread will take away from the food coloring design.


 Now that these guys have been feed, and hopefully had fun doing so, I have a few ideas for activities and projects they can do to keep themselves busy that doesn't involve eating!






My first favorite snow day activity is making play dough. You will likely have all the ingredients at home to make this (especially if you plan ahead). It will only last a week or two, but it is something you can make in a large batch and send some home with the kids at your house at the end of the day.  Play dough has many possibilities-you can make it plain, add coloring, add glitter, or add spices to give it a scent (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.). Or you can add kool-aid packets that will add scent and color! There are a variety of recipes available to make play dough, some are even edible. With a group of children, I would avoid "edible" so that there isn't a germ infestation by touching others play dough then eating it! Here is my favorite play dough recipe and you really only need flour, salt, water, and oil (food coloring is optional) No Cook Playdough from BestRecipies.Com

I will share one last non-food based activity for you to try at home for your snow day! Make Frozen Bubbles! You will have to be outside for this one though! Mix one-half cup soap powder, one-half cup sugar and three cups hot water in a bowl. Take bubble solution and wand outside. Have your child blow a bubble and catch it on the wand. Let it sit in the cold air until it freezes into your very own crystal ball.

Have fun, and adults remember-kids have creative minds too so it's OK to let them come up with their own ideas if they would rather!