if your kids are intrepid like ours are, let them go outside for a bit. this is our first snow day of the season up here in Kingston, and it's blizzardy, but our older two are excited to build a fort in the backyard. We are careful to limit their exposure, but they love it! Clean recycling bins, or snow-brick building molds make awesome forts...bundle up!

Hi Tracy, well, this is our FIFTH snow day so far. Not only has the novelty of outside adventures totally worn off, but it's all nasty sleet right now. But otherwise, yes, I'm all for playing outside! :-)

JUST the post I needed, just when I needed it...I'm running out of ideas here! Think I'm going to start with thinning out toys and books with the kiddos...off I go!

I like how none of these involve watching TV, playing on the computer or with other screens!

Of course, this depends on the age of your children. No problems with the 8 year old being able to find some snow day fun on her own, but my son, who is 3, can be a challenge.

Sometimes I fill up the bathtub with nice warm water, let him put on his bathing suit, and dump a bunch of new toys in. Pretending to "swim" makes it less like bath time and there seems to be some novelty about doing it in the middle of the day.

Also, a cookie sheet full of flour and some of his matchbox cars can keep him occupied at the kitchen table for awhile. He loves to pretend to snow plow with his digger (if only he could do it outside and save me some shoveling).

Great ideas Cheri. Actually, on the last snow day, Laurel spent nearly two whole hours in the tub, just hanging out, doing pretend play, etc. :-)

Fantastic ideas Christine. My four spent literally hours today planning and performing several talent shows. My closet was ransacked but it was so worth it. They were hysterically funny and I took advantage of their planning time to thin out! Gear up - we may be getting more on Saturday!

The unused space trip reminds me of when 'saac was little. He'd ride his bike in the communal laundry room of our apt complex.

Sleet is nasty, but snow & ice don't have to be any more boring than any other natural element. His babysitter was from Romania and strictly kept to my request to take him outside for an hour everyday and did so even on cold, snowy, rainy days. He was 6 mos to 2.5 yrs old then, so I'm sure she spent plenty of time changing his clothes.

My indoor play idea: a science tray. Little pitchers (creamers) of water and vinegar, bowls of baking soda & cornstarch, maybe food coloring, empty bowls & test tubes & eyedroppers if you've got em. That has been enough to keep my guy going for nearly and hour from age 5 thru 8. If you want to be more organized you can work together using alum powder from the drugstore to make chrystals or you can set up a "testing" bowl to find out what's a base. I remember my 5-yr old being delighted to drop vinegar on all sorts of things to see if they'd fizz.

Great idea Jen -- I *love* science trays. We've actually found that it's a great way to use up old spices and things in the pantry that we would otherwise toss. And yes, the fizz factor with baking soda is particularly magical!

Thanks for sharing some great ideas for fun! Yesterday, my kids spent the day shoveling snow, building a fort, and creating a store. Today, we decorated red envelopes to give to our friends for Chinese New Year.