Snow Day? What to Do When Daycare Closes
Oh, that pesky winter weather. The forecast called for flurries, but Mother Nature dumped a ton of snow and ice on you, the roads are almost impassable, and that means one thing — daycare is closed. Yep. It’s a snow day. Now what? From finding alternative care options (because sigh, work never closes) to keeping your kiddo busy at home, we have the help you need to make it through your next snow day.
1. Playdate Co-op: Buddy up with the other mamas on your block — when a snow day strikes, chances are, you’re all in the same boat! Create a community collective of rotating playdate hosts, making it possible to for working parents to get to their jobs and the littles to have fun.
2. Work Collab: You’re all for taking a personal day, but you can’t take the day off *every* time it snows or reaches sub-zero temps. When a neighborhood playdate co-op isn’t an option, a work version might. Arrange a revolving schedule of “daycare parent” places for the kids to go when school is closed, where each parent coworker agrees to stay home on their “day.” Before setting anything in stone, make sure that each parent actually wants to volunteer and has the personal/sick days left to do so.
3. School Sitters: The snow day closures affect everyone in your area, so it’s likely that if daycare closes, your local high schools, colleges, and technical schools will also call off classes for the day. Build a list of high school or college-aged sitters to call when there’s a closure.
4. Outside Indoors: Did you decide to call off work and stay home with your tot on this snowy day? The unsalted roads and constantly falling white stuff make driving to your usual kid-friendly haunts an impossibility, but a cooped-up kiddo is not a happy one. Avoid cabin fever with outdoor activities — inside. Bring a bucket of snow in, put on the mittens, and make snow people in the bathtub. Or, shovel a sheet of snow into a plastic bin, your sink, or the tub and let your tot play the day away with sand or bath toys.
5. Artsy Adventures: You’re not a Pinteresting parent, and that’s okay, because even novice crafters can get artsy with their kids, right? Oh wait: You can’t get out for an impromptu trip to the craft store to buy supplies. Don’t stress. Use what you have at home. An unfolded cardboard box can become the background for a creative crayon mural, a stack of washed-and-dried used plastic yogurt containers and tape can turn into a magical sculpture, and your preschooler can cut apart fabric scraps and make a textured collage.
6. Dance Dance: Your tot spends more than half their daycare day in constant motion, so sitting at home in front of a screen all day just won’t cut it. But before you start planning an elaborate in-home obstacle course that takes hours to set up, just turn on the music. All you need is an energy-packed playlist and some sweet moves. Clear an empty space, play your favorite tunes, and dance, dance, dance!
7. Snow Sports: Provided that the temperature is at a safe level, head outside. Invite the other neighborhood kids over for a snowy soccer game, backyard “snowball” baseball, or a wintertime version of your child’s fave sporty activity.
8. Movie Day: Forget about trudging through the snow to watch the latest big screen kids’ flick. Turn your living room into a home theater, pop popcorn, craft mock tickets, and watch snow or winter-themed picks.
9. Foodie Feast: You have the activities covered, but now you need to feed your kiddo — and possibly all the neighborhood kids too. Going to the grocery store isn’t happening, and absolutely no one is delivering in this weather. Make lunch or snack time fun and use what you already have by making a sandwich buffet. Give the littles bread options (wheat, multi-grain, English muffins, tortillas, pita — you get the picture), provide plenty of fresh veggies, add cheese choices, or pack the buffet bar with PB&J fixings.
What’s your favorite snow day activity? Share your pick and tweet us @BritandCo.
(Photo via Getty)
