The East Coast was hit by Winter Storm Janus over the last 24 hours. With snow emergencies declared in many areas, schools have been closed, many companies are not open for business, and more than 1500 flights have been cancelled. Here in Massachusetts, snow days are not uncommon. Entertaining yourself and your kids can be difficult when your options are limited due to the weather and your budget is tight. There are the obvious options like heading outside and building a snowman or snow fort, going for a sledding adventure, or snowball fights. But some days it’s just too cold to do anything outside.
Check out these ideas for fun indoor snow day activities that won’t break the bank:
- Have a home movie theater day. If you are already subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming sites, check out the new releases and pick out a few that you and your kids can enjoy together. For the full movie theater effect, clip a blanket to your curtain rods to darken the room and set up chairs, pillows, and blankets. You can even have your kids craft pretend admission tickets. Don’t forget the popcorn! (Snow days are also a great day to marathon your favorite TV shows on demand or streaming.)
- Spa day. If you have young girls or are in need of some relaxation yourself, consider having a home spa day. Chances are you already have most of the supplies needed for a mani/pedi or facial. Check out DIY home face mask recipes on Pinterest.
- Teach your kids about money. Visit ACCC’s Youth and Money Center for fun and interactive games and ideas to teach your kids about money. There are resources for kids in kindergarten all the way up to college.
- Game day. Dig through your board game collection (or video game collection) and game on! Invite your neighbors as they are most likely home and bored, do not have to drive to your house, and probably have some games you haven’t played before.
- When I was a kid, I could color and craft for hours. Visit websites like Crayola.com, TheColor.com, KinderArt.com for free printable coloring pages. Also consider giving your kids old magazines and newspapers to use to make a collage.
- Bake. Go through the cabinets and take stock of what you have to make some delicious treats! Also, running the oven will keep the kitchen and house nice and toasty!
- Read. Snows are a great day to catch up on your reading/schoolwork/work. It’s also a great way to introduce your kids to your favorite novels as a kid.
While your kids are busy with these snow-day activities, take advantage of the day home and get whatever you need to do done. Clean the house, organize your finances and debt, recover from the holidays, or simply relax!
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.