Hi, I’m Amanda, a licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist). I am passionate about empowering you with the tools to get your child talking. I love working with parents like you, to take the guess work out of getting your baby, toddler or preschooler talking.
Are you planning for a snow day and looking for some fun and easy activities to do with your kids at home? Snow Days are something I always looked forward to as a kid. Whether you want to play outside in the snow or snuggle up on the couch there are several activities you can do at home. Here are 10 activities you can do at home during your snow day. The best part about all of these activities is that they encourage speech and language development as well as vocabulary.
10 Snow Day Activities
Build a Snowman
Making a snowman is a must do activity on a snow day or any Winter day. Channel your inner Elsa in Frozen while making your snowman. You can practice following one-step directions (put the nose on the snowman, make 3 circles etc.) as well as basic concepts (on, under, next to, on top) and descriptive words (cold, frozen, wet.) When you put the hat on the snowman say “ON”. This activity is also great for labeling body parts (eyes, mouth, nose, arms, head, neck), shapes (circle, triangle) and sizes (small, big, large). Another idea is to make two snowman with the same or different clothing and to describe the similarities as well as the differences. Remember to describe what you are doing and what your child is doing. You might also be interested in my digital basic concepts Boom Cards™ targeting same and different with a snowman theme by clicking here.
2. SNOWBALL FIGHT
A snowball fight is a fun activity for kids on a snow day. So while you are out there making a snowman, have a snowball fight too. You can focus on verbs such as roll, throw and block. You can also describe the snow using adjectives such as cold, wet, frozen and slippery. This is also great for fine motor skills too.
3. Bake
I don’t know about you but on a snowy winter day, I love to bake. Whether you decide to bake cookies, cupcakes, a cake or brownies you can’t go wrong. Baking with kids creates many opportunities for learning. You can focus on the following verbs: crack, pour, mix and stir. It is recommended to say the words as you do the action to help make the association between the word and the actions.
4. GO SLEDDING
I hope you have your sled ready for this snow day. No sled, no problem. You can use the top from a garbage can or storage tote container as a substitute. When sledding down the hill, you can say “whee” and ready, set… GO! (pause before saying go). As you walk up the hill you can sing, “Up, up, up we go (to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”)
5. WATCH A MOVIE
Put on your comfy clothes and get ready to snuggle up on the couch for this one. Watch a movie to stay warm on this cold and snowy day. Before watching the movie you can make predictions about what you think the movie is about and during the movie you can talk about different parts. Another option is to discuss your favorite part of the movie after you finish watching the movie. For older children, you can have them draw a picture or write a sentence about their favorite part of the movie. Your child can then describe the picture they drew or read the sentence they wrote.
6. play a board game
A board game is another one of my favorite snow day activities. You may think it is just a board game but it is so much more. When playing board games with your children you are working on social skills, turn-taking, following directions and vocabulary. You can find my recommended games by clicking here.
7. MAKE SNOW ANGELS
Snow angels are another classic for your snow day with your kids. While making the snow angel, you can focus on the words open and close. Prior to going outside you can discuss the clothing you’ll need to wear to stay warm outside (hat, gloves, boots, jacket/coat, scarf, snow pants).
8. MAKE PAPER SNOWFLAKES
Arts n’ Crafts on a snow day is a great option to keep your little ones busy. You can make paper snowflakes by using either paper, a paper plate or a coffee filter. Cut the paper into a circle and fold it in half. Then you can cut different designs to make your snowflake.
9. MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE
After spending a day outside in the cold, you will definitely want some hot chocolate to warm you up. You can make hot chocolate but you can also incorporate language into the activity. Some key words include: open, pour, mix, stir, drink, hot, yum, yummy, mmm. You can work on requesting, describing, following directions, answering questions and sequencing while making hot chocolate.
10. PAINT THE SNOW
You can either paint the snow inside or outside. For this activity, you’ll need water, food coloring, a paint brush and a flat container (this is optional but a take out clear or white plastic container is perfect.) Add the food coloring to the water to make your desired colors (red, green, blue, yellow). You can ask your child what color do you want by holding up the options as you ask. You can use primary colors or experiment with mixing colors. As you drop the food color ing you can say IN and then as you mix the color into the water say MIX. It is helpful to say the word as you complete the action. If painting indoors, get some snow and put in the the container and your child can then pain the snow. If you are painting the show outside, bring your colored water and your paintbrush outside and you are ready to go.
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I cannot wait to hear from you and hope you enjoy your snow day!
