Yes, yes, today is officially the first day of spring. But let’s get realistic… we just got another 6″ of snow dropped on us in Minnesota and the temp this morning was 3°F. Unfortunately it is not time to break out the shorts yet, and therefore I have made a quick list of fun and creative things I have done with my daughter this winter.
Make snow paint!
This may have been the easiest activity yet. I picked up two inexpensive water bottles, added water and dyed the water. You can use food coloring, paint or other natural dyes. I decided to use some leftover Easter egg dye tablets from the prior year and it worked like a charm. I would recommend using smaller spray bottles for the younger kids as they are easier to hold/spray.
Paint something!
Before a big snow storm in early February, my daughter and I went to the craft store with the mission to find something to do while we were snowed in. All on her own, she decided she wanted to paint a bird house. I told her she could pick out three new paint colors. It was really special watching her paint. She also picked out a foam paint brush, which I was a little hesitant about, but it turned out to be easier to paint with than the brushes we had.
Final product
We bought her another bird house and some more paint last week, anticipating the latest snow storm.
Re-purpose toilet paper rolls!
In February, I posted about the homemade bird feeders we made from toilet paper rolls. I can’t tell you how much enjoyment we have gotten from watching the birds, squirrels and bunnies from outside our kitchen window this winter. Shortly after we made those, we decided to create some owls we were inspired by on Pinterest. There are all sorts of TP crafts you can find online. We are currently working on some Easter bunnies.
Hi, I'm Stephanie. I'm the best selling author of Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving and WECK Home Preserving. My fourth book, Small-Scale Homesteading, is now available for pre-order! I'm a certified master food preserver, food preservation instructor, organic gardener, chicken keeper and nature lover. I specialize in creating easy to follow recipes and directions to help other homesteaders meet their goals.
Great ideas! That will certainly help keep my granddaughter interested in indoor activities until spring finally comes!! Thank you…
With the notorious Pittsburgh weather we get here every winter, you better believe we get some snow days. It’s nice to see some activities that i can do with my kids inside and not just out. Thanks for the post, i like it a lot.