It can be a drag to get ready for school when it’s snowing outside and you’re so hoping for school to be canceled–and it’s not. We live in Utah and my boys pray throughout the winter for snow days, but we rarely get them. It takes A LOT of snowfall before districts here will cancel school. So we’ve tried to make it special and fun on those mornings when we still have to head out.
Snuggle and Focus on the Blessings of Having a Snow Day
My youngest still loves to snuggle. He’s very good at it, and I love that it provides a few moments in the morning for us to be together without interruptions. We can talk about the day ahead, and I can mention that it snowed during the night. So we’ll need to leave plenty of time to get ready and head out the door. If we’re feeling grumpy about the cold outside, we can talk about why God makes snow and why the earth needs it. Keeping a good perspective is always helpful when a day starts out a bit off.
Enjoy Hot Cocoa for Breakfast
At our house, cocoa is a much-anticipated treat. On snowy days, it’s breakfast. That’s when I make it with hot milk so it’s extra creamy and nutritious. I add a side of toast with lots of butter, and it’s the perfect, warm breakfast to fill my kids’ bellies. If they liked cinnamon toast, I’d quickly make some. I keep a cinnamon-sugar mix handy in the cupboard so it’s easy to sprinkle on stuff that I like. Just butter your bread, sprinkle the mix, and slide into the toaster oven. Nothing fancy but oh so good!
Cocoa and toast not your kids’ favorite breakfast items? Let them choose, in advance, a special snow-day breakfast cereal. Keep it on hand, and serve when the weather cooperates.
Sing a Christmas Song
It doesn’t matter if Christmas has already passed, you can still sing a Christmas song when it snows. While your kids brush their teeth, belt out Jingle Bells or Frosty the Snowman. They may think you’re crazy, but I bet they’ll join in the fun.
Warm Up the Snow-Day Gear
Toss it all in the dryer–kids’ coats, mittens, socks. About 10-15 minutes will do. Pull items out just as kids are headed out the door, and they’ll be delighted to snuggle into their toasty-warm outerwear. It all cools quickly, so it encourages the kids to dress quickly. I do check to make sure that zippers or metal buttons are cool to the touch before I let the kids put them on.
Enjoy a Few Snow Flakes
Head outside a couple minutes before you have to leave. If you’re like us and you walk to school, it’s so fun to walk in the snow or catch flakes on your tongue as you’re walking. But if you have to drive or take a bus, try to catch a few flakes before you head out. Go ahead, encourage your kids to tilt their heads back and enjoy. You might go for it too.
How do you motivate your kids to get ready for school on snowy mornings? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Barbara Alfeo says
Love these ideas! So fun!