Ditch the screen next snow day and get creative

Winter isn’t coming, it’s here! All that wishful thinking of an extended autumn can end up leaving us shocked when the snow starts to fall. Now that snow days are in full swing, it’s time to prepare for when school’s called off, the kids are hyped and you’re left wondering, “what the heck do I do now?”

Although we can’t offer babysitting services (but someone on Curbza might be able to!), we can let you in on some of our most loved snowstorm activities to do with the kids. The kids may want to stay stuck to the screen and play games all day, but you can break their day up a bit and get their creative juices flowing.

Dress ‘em up, but don’t take ‘em out

When you’re stuck in the house, it’s easy to get (really, really) bored. Encourage the kids to use their creativity to keep the “sighs” to a minimum. Have a pre-assembled tickle trunk full of fun costumes they can put on, and let their imaginations run wild. Thrifting is an inexpensive and awesome way to assemble costumes. Pick up some funny hats, colorful shirts, silly oversized accessories and more. Throw it all in a big box and bring it out when they’re least expecting it.

Build a weather-resistant fortress

Kids love building things, and it’s even more fun when they can hang out in their creation. Fort building is always a sleepover favorite, so why not give them tools to create the most elaborate fort they could imagine! Sheets, blankets, chairs, baskets and foam mats are great equipment to build an epic fort. You can pick up a few of these things second-hand on Curbza, and combine it with stuff you already have at home to have a fantastic fort-making kit. Keep it under the stairs or in the closet for a snowy day. It’ll be a great surprise, and kids could literally spend all day building their masterpiece.

Crafts and DIYs

As a kid, it’s rewarding and fun to make your own gifts and show the adults what you’re capable of. There’s plenty of useful, beautiful and easy-to-make crafts that kids can put together. Hang them around the house and show the kids you love their creativity, or encourage them to give them as gifts to family and friends. You can get all kinds of stuff second-hand to fill your craft supplies drawers. People often sell (or even give away!) small things like buttons and mason jars, or you can even spruce up some old aprons or dishes for fun kitchen crafts. This list of DIYs by Happy Hooligans will get ideas flowing. We also love this list of dollar store crafts from Pioneer Settler. Lots of items in the DIYs can be found second-hand (think picture frames, curtains, glassware). You may be surprised and impressed with how creative they really are!

Here’s just a few of our favourite ways to spend a snow day on a budget. Check out Curbza for second-hand goods that may be a great addition to your tickle trunk, fort making kit or craft drawer! Trash to treasure, you know the drill! Happy creating!

What’s your favourite DIY to do with the kids? Tell us about it below, we’d love to share it on our social media!