How to Survive A Snow Day With Your Kids

Last week I read the oddest status update on Facebook: “My son keeps flushing ice cubes down the toilet.”

Soon there were other parents claiming their children flushed an entire tray of ice cubes, kids were wearing their pajamas inside out, spoons were under pillows, and pennies were on the window sill. Apparently, the kids were doing everything in their power to ensure a snow day.

I'm not sure where all this is coming from, but I'm guessing that there was a lot of disappointment when the kids found out that after all their hard work, their reward was a delayed opening.

Fast forward to this week, where a just became a full blown snow day. The problem, of course, is that it is not a day for sledding or snowball fights or building snowmen. It was and we were staying indoors.

So how do you survive a snow day with your kids indoors? How do you make it so your kids don't drive you crazy? How do you make it special for everyone?

I asked around and here are some wonderful ideas from some local moms on how to survive a snow day inside.

• Have the kids make snow ice cream for breakfast. Send them out first thing to gather the freshest snow, mix the ingredients and seconds later you have ice cream. Sure, it isn't the healthiest breakfast, but it will get big smiles and score you points on the cool mom-o-meter.

• Crafts are always a mandatory part of any snow day. I always have a roll of easel paper on hand. I like to line the dining table with paper, tape it down and let the kids get creative with any kind of art supply we have.

• If you have an extreme amount of patience, ask your kids to help you bake cookies. Kids love to cook, and they like to taste things. My kids like to smell and taste all the ingredients, including the baking soda and flour!

• Clean and organize the playroom or closets. Take a few bags and tell the kids it's time to clean house. Start compiling things for donation or a spring yard sale.

• If the roads are clear and you want the kids out of the house, then head out to one of our local kid-friendly destinations. Jumpers, , Marple Sports Arena, Sproul Lanes, and the movie theater–they all can provide entertainment for your family but make sure they are open first.

Most importantly, snow days are about compromise. Help your kids build the fort and then take an hour to get some work done and return phone calls.  Try to hold it together, and have some fun at the same time. At the end of the day when the kids are in bed, sit by the fire with a grown up cup of hot chocolate.

If you have any snow day survival stories or ideas, please share them with Patch.