Studio 5 Contributor Kiersten Blanchard has several ideas for your day:
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TARGET PRACTICE
This is a snowball-throwing contest featuring a large bull’s-eye target created with food coloring in the snow. Simply fill spray bottles with food coloring and water. Assign a point value to each of the rings. Then, using a keen-eyed official, take turns throwing snowballs at the target and keeping track of points. The first to reach 100 points wins. Don’t be too surprised, however, if the game is cut short by the outbreak of an impromptu snowball war.
Tip: Kids can use the left-over colored water for their own snow art.
FLAG IN A SNOW STACK
Tie a white cloth to the end of a short stick or wooden spoon. Then, give each child a chance to hide it by staking it anywhere within a predetermined set of boundaries. Keep track of how long it takes for the rest of the group to find it. Whoever hid the flag that takes the longest time to spot wins the game.
Variation: You can play with two different teams, like Capture the Flag. A playing field is divided in two sides. Both teams have their flag hidden on their side. The goal is to get across to the other team’s side and get there flag without being tagged. Those who are tagged have to wait out of the game for a few minutes.
TUG-SNOW-WAR
Team up for a slip-sliding variation of tug-o-war. Pack down a wide, shallow trench in the snow to serve as the midline. Then, take up positions at the ends of a long, thick rope and let the tugging begin. Whichever team pulls the entire opposing group over to its side of the trench wins.
FROSTY TOPPER
Once you’ve built a plump, frosty snowman to stand sentry in your front yard, make a game of topping him off in style. Take turns trying to land a hat on his head by throwing it Frisbee style from 10 or so feet away.
BEACH BUM SNOWMAN
Snow or shine, this beach bum is sure to make waves. Begin with a towel to build on, using a small brush to clear away any leftover patches of snow. Give your snowman a this-is-paradise smile with a bright red slice of apple. Use a carrot for his nose, and accessorize with a pair of cheap sunglasses for eyes. Don’t forget a pebble or bottle cap for his belly button. Finish the look with your choice of sticks for arms, a water bottle (although dehydration doesn’t seem too likely), a beach umbrella, and a visor or hat. You can even build a snow castle by his side.
JUMP SNOW HURDLES
Lightly pack a bunch of basketball-size snowballs and then use them to build a course of hurdles to jump over in a round of follow the leader.
THERE’S “SNOW” TELLING
For a fun-filled guessing game, press a few distinctively shaped items into the snow (a pinecone, a football, a toy car) and then remove them. Ask kids to try to identify each object from its imprint.
SNOSAIC
This is a mosaic project where kids fill their snow angels with birdseed, much to the delight of their feathered friends. Simply gather various types of birdseed seed (we suggest thistle, corn, sunflower and safflower), cups, pine boughs. Work in teams to create the angels: One partner made the angel while the other partner stood by to help the maker get up without messing up the imprint. Then, standing in their established foot holes, both angel makers pour cups of birdseed into the angel, filling the head and body with bands of variously colored seed. Pine boughs became the angel’s spreading wings. Younger kids may want to use a single type of seed to fill their angel.
BRICKED SNOW FORT
For a solid, and perfectly formed snow fort, use bread loaf pans. Pack snow in pans to create a snow brick. You decide how many you’ll need for your stylish snow palace!
FROSTY FURNITURE
As your snow day draws to its close, have the kids create some snow furniture – maybe a “snow”fa and a table where they can sit and enjoy some treats. While they create, you can retrieve a fun treat and some warm cocoa for sipping. Need a cool treat? Check out the Frosty cupcake below.
Frosty the Cupcake
Serve these merry marshmallow snowmen with cocoa for the perfect end to a day in the snow.
Ingredients:
Cooled cupcakes (baked from your favorite recipe—or box.)
White icing
Large marshmallows
Pretzel sticks
Decorator’s gel
Orange slice candy
Junior Mints
Thin Mints
Fruit leather
Waxed paper
1. Frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing.
2. Flatten a large marshmallow on waxed paper with the palm of your hand. Cut a second marshmallow in half horizontally, then stack the halves on the first marshmallow to form a torso and head.
3. Push a thin pretzel stick down through the snowman (this will help him stand up), then set him on the cupcake.
4. Use decorators’ gel to create a mouth, eyes, and buttons, then add pretzel stick arms and a wedge cut from an orange slice candy for a nose.
5. Accessorize with a candy hat (a Junior Mint secured to a Thin Mint with icing) and a fruit leather scarf.
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