Snow Day 101

from: Colleen Mullane www.colleenmullaney.com.

It’s official, you got the 6 am call and school is canceled. Now, what to do with the kids all day? Here’s an itinerary to help them rise and shine!

Jump Start and Continue the Day: Pancakes in cookie cutter shapes with fresh fruit and warm syrup give them a healthy start as well as energy for a long day ahead (just be sure to use metal cookie cutters to be sure the plastic does not melt in the skillet). Another great option or supplements are fruit smoothies as they are full of flavor and nutrition. Add yogurt to the usual blend of fruits, ice, and juice for an extra hearty burst. Other eats through out the day:

Lunch:
Pita Pockets
Ham or turkey and cheese rolls
Grilled cheese
Hot Dogs rolled in crescent dough
Make your own pizzas

Treats:
Candied apples
Hot chocolate with marshmallows

Keep them Busy: Decorate foamy snowflakes and hang them from branches brought inside for a snowflake tree. I use a tin flower bucket filled with stones on the bottom for a rustic base. A few other suggestions:

· Decoupage: This very effective paper technique will provide children with hours of pleasure and can be adapted to suit most ages. Wrapping paper, paper doilies, newspapers, and magazine cuttings, and keep them in a decoupage box. Kids can decoupage glass jars, shoe boxes, and tins.

· Paper Lanterns: Like paper chains, paper lanterns are traditional and a fun way of using paper to make three-dimensional objects. They look great strung across a mantel or window. Decorated with ribbons, buttons, beads or glitter.

· Painted stones: Painted stones can be used to create a variety of items. Such as paperweights, jewelry, and bookends. The shaped of the stone may inspire its design. Keep a collection of stones on hand so you’ll have a supply ready to go!

· Decorative Scarf:
Age 4-10

You’ll need:
8-inch wide strip of fleece in a color of your choice.
Decorative scissors
Trim embellishment

· Cut the fleece strip to 40” in length, you can cut smaller for a younger child.
· Fold in half
· Cut 3” deep to make the fringe, along the entire length of fleece.
· Tie trim embellishment onto ends of fringe, until desired look.

A Working Project: After craft time, try a fun no-bake project in the kitchen, the kids will have a ball decorating these “houses”. This is certainly a winter wonderland house to savor! Plus, they can work on their master piece through out the day and after breaks.

For one house you’ll need:

· Orange juice or milk container
· 6 inch x12 inch piece of cardboard
· 1 tub vanilla icing plus ½ cup confectioners sugar
· spreading knife
· candies to decorate

Mark the sides of the carton to form an inverted v shape, or roof lines. Cut along these lines.Begin to assemble by icing the bottom sides of the house. Decorate sides with candy. Let it set. To put roof on, score the cardboard in center so that it will bend easily over the center. Using the knife, apply icing liberally. Decorate the roof and let dry.

Fresh Air/ Snow time: Have fun outside while playing in the snow. Add a blushing glow to the snow people, mix red food coloring with water in a spray bottle.

Use a bucket to create bricks of snow to build a fort or fashion a table and seats from filling large galvanized buckets with snow and turning them up-side down. Use 2 for the table and one each per seat.

Snowball makers make perfectly rounded balls, great for making mini snowmen, snow animals, or lots of snowballs for hours of fun!

Buy Snowball makers at the 24/7 MOMS store.