Winter’s chilly temperatures mean potential snow days for students. Instead of plopping down in front of the TV and letting those days go to waste, use snow days as an opportunity to keep kids learning with fun, hands-on activities! Here’s your productive snow day itinerary:
Morning: Turn snow day into e-learning day
A day off from school is the perfect time for kids to catch up on assignments, do some extra studying, or challenge themselves by working ahead. Make at-home learning fun by setting aside textbooks and having your kids do some interactive practice on websites and apps like IXL and Khan Academy. Or, go online together and research a topic they’re learning about in school to see what interesting information you can dig up. For some productive screen time, turn the TV to an educational show (try channels like National Geographic Channel, History, and PBS), or browse Netflix for appropriate documentaries.
Midday: Learn through hands-on activities
Reward your students for working hard in the morning with some hands-on activities (that will secretly help them learn)! For example, make lunch or prepare food for dinner, which – in addition to teaching them how to cook – helps them see fractions, measurement and chemistry in action. Pick up a newspaper, browse through it together, and discuss current events and social issues. You could even have your kids sit with you as you pay bills or clip coupons and use it as a way to teach them about counting money, percentages, and personal finance.
Afternoon: Play!
Take the afternoon to have some fun and bond with your kids. If the weather allows, get outside and play in the snow – if not, bring in a few buckets of snow and make snow sculptures in the tub, or do some indoor snow day activities!
Parents, how do you keep your kids occupied during snow days? Share your ideas by leaving a comment below!
