appalachian grasshopper

This weekend, we’re expecting a large snowfall (up to 28 inches in 24 hours), so I thought I would share 5 ways we spend snow days – no internet or power needed and a few ways we enjoy a big snow

Games & Puzzles

kid friendly board games: when we have cozy days indoors, one of the things we do as a family is play board games. our kids are 4 and 6, so we play games like “Sorry!” and “trouble” as a family. it’s also a great way to practice counting for littles without the complexity of a bigger board game.

house Rummy: my husband and I also enjoy playing rummy. we have family rules that we play by – so we don’t go by the official rules. we deal 13 cards each; we don’t do sets (aka 2,2,2); and you have to discard your last card to go out and finish the game. if when someone lays down a discard, and there’s a play in the rut – you call “rummy” and you only pick up the playable cards, leaving the rest behind. Rummy can be called even after someone discards as the last play of the game. we also score the game differently than the official rules tell us to. (Aces are 15 points. 10, jack, queen, and king are worth 10 points. and the minor cards (2-9) are worth 5 points). We play until someone goes over 500 – that’s what we consider “playing a round of rummy.”

puzzles: another way we spend our snow days is putting together and solving puzzles. we have a small collection of puzzles – some for the kids with wooden block puzzle pieces that our 4-year-old enjoys. we have some cartoon puzzles we do as a family. we also have some more complex, detailed puzzles that take time and more than one set of eyes. the variety is nice and keeps us all busy for a little while.

Books & Magazines

Bible Study: one way we spend the morning on a quiet snow day is by opening up the day with a bible study and prayer. usually, we read our bibles before bed, but there’s something so special about sitting in a window seat and watching the snow fall while you read scripture.

fiction: my kids also love stories, so when it gets later in the evening and they’re ready for winding down we break out a story. we’ve read the Hobbit, eragon, and some of the magic tree house books (my favorite when I was little). I also have a shelf of books to pick up when I get the itch to get cozy and read. I keep the twilight series, the divergent trilogy, and the eragon series. I also have 1989 by george orwell, the secret garden, and oliver twist. another fun one I picked up at a book swap I host was a garfield comic. we love books here, and I visit the library often.

non-fiction: another way I spend time reading is on business oriented books – currently I have a book by Alex hormoze from aquisition (dot) com, a book about strategic planning with a team, and another one focused on analytics tools. I pick these up when I want to feel productive or when I’m craving something more intellectually stimulating in nature.

Writing & Journaling

writing: something about me that not many people know is that I write fiction – and most of it is just for enjoyment. however, I’ve been working on a novel for a little over a year now, and that is something I love to do offline. I write scenes down when they come to mind, and I have chapters printed off for line editing as well. I encourage you to pick up a blank notebook and just start writing something the next time you find yourself out of power (or internet). there’s something very freeing about writing for nobody but you.

journaling: if you don’t have a journal, I don’t know how to convince you to get one. but I’ve been a journalling girlie since I began middle school. I haven’t written daily since my teen years, but I do write in my journal often. it’s a wonderful way to reflect on my thoughts over time, to see what I’ve been through, what I’ve done, and how far I’ve come. it’s also a great way to organize your thoughts and feelings.

Drawing & Crafts

drawing: my daughter and I share a passion for the arts. when there’s no electricity and no internet, we take inspiration from the things and the natural world around us.

crafting: another way to keep the hands busy when there’s not much else to do is to pick up a craft. for me, I enjoy embroidering. My husband likes to whittle wood. we also have a pirate ship model we might put together this weekend. we got it from hobby lobby (not a sponsored post, but we wouldn’t mind if we were!).

Hot Cocoa, Smores, & Naps

get cozy! when in doubt, nap it out! on a snow day when we get bored, we love to have a warm snack (like smores or hot cocoa / tea) and take a nap. there’s nothing like a mid-day nap. listen, I’m only 26 and I firmly believe in snacks and naps lol

Sledding, Snowmen, & Snowball Wars

sledding: if you don’t get snow, or if you don’t have hills, I’m sorry for you. one of my core memories of snow days growing up was sledding. not snow tubing. not skiing. sledding. we would take anything round or flat enough and sled down the hill in our front yard. most of the time, something rough and semi-flat works great. if you don’t have a sled, use a trash can lid. after you go down 3ish times, the snow gets packed down and it gets slick. that’s when you really fly down the hill and have some fun!

sledding safety: my younger sister was more daring than I – she learned how to snow board. sledding is the safer, less risky option. just take care to make a crash bank or a stopping point – you don’t want to fly out in a road, a frozen creek, or speed wreck into trees (or fences) – ouch. take care when you go sledding, but have fun!

snowmen: my daughter has been talking about building a snowman for some time, and we haven’t had enough snow to do that in about 2 years. I’m hoping we get to build one together this weekend. don’t forget to dress your snowperson up with a hat, a scarf, and some mittens!

snowball wars: okay, so one of my absolute favorite ways to spend a snow day is to have a snowball war. each person or team gets 20 minutes to build a fortress or a wall of some kind. this is what you’ll hide behind when the snowball war begins. then, at the 20-minute mark, fire (or ice in this case) away! it’s fun to stockpile snowballs on the side of the fortress if the snow is easily packed. be nice and have fun!