Snow is fun but even the best snow bunnies like to come inside.
Here are some easy stamps you can make with your kids where it’s nice and warm (with a mug of hot cocoa).  No need for a run to the store, these are items you may have around the house.

Toilet paper rolls

 Easy Fireworks Painting
Danya Banya

Fringe some left over toilet paper rolls to create cool fireworks.

Toilet Paper Roll Stamps
Mama Papa Bubba

These simple stamps are easy as pie, and you can get more than one stamp out of each roll too.

Toilet Paper Roller
Who’s Who and Who’s New

Use foam stickers or try string, bubble wrap or textured fabric.

Corks and bottle tops

Wine Cork Stamps
Design Mom

Go ahead and open another bottle… for the sake of the children.

Sponge Painting
Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Use bottle caps to keep hands clean(er)

Bottle Top Stamps
Paging Fun Moms

These use foam stickers and bottle tops to make a bunch of cute stamps.

Cherry Blossom Art
Alpha Mom

Or, just use the whole bottle.

Food

Apple and Celery Stamps
A Beautiful Mess

So cute you might use them for yourself (check out the gorgeous celery stamped scarf!)

Okra Stamps
This is Love Forever

I used to love celery stalk stamps, but okra may be the most adorable stamp I’ve ever seen.

Potato Stamps
Homemade Serenity

The potato stamp is a classic, but the way she cuts the pattern out of this potato stamp is brilliant.

Junk Around the House

Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Stamps
Sugar Aunts

Perfect when you’re stuck inside on a snow day.

Spool Stamps
Richmondmom

We made these DIY stamps last year and found they are perfect for little toddler hands.

Get creative with stuff around the house
Play Based Learning

Got some old junk? Gather up buttons, foam, toothpicks, wire, string… whatever you got an have a cool stamp competition.  You might come up with some really creative patterns!

Have fun stamping and show us what you made!

Like this post? Please share it using one of our handy-dandy share buttons on the side of your desktop or the top of the post.
Find more fantastic craft ideas on our Pinterest board.

The snow day staples: milk, bread and eggs.
We already addressed what to do with all that milk… so now, how can we keep the kids entertained with the eggs?
Well, to go along with that you’re going to need some snow day activities.
So, here are some crafty “sides” to go along with your staples.

Egg Carton Animal Noses
Baby Jungle

How cute are these?!  These super easy and fun egg carton noses are perfect for pretend play.
(Also, file this away for Halloween costumes.)

Flower Garland
Say Yes

It might be a snowy day but we’re dreaming of spring flowers.
This cute little garland would be a cheerful way to decorate a kids room.

Go All Kandinsky on them

No tutorial here, but none needed.
Get creative and colorful with your own work of art.

Egg Carton SnowflakesWhite House, Black Shutters

Easy yes, but kids will really love this one because you get to smash these babies flat!
Paint em, or leave them as is.

Egg Carton Paint PalletLearn~Play~Imagine

Alright, so the egg carton isn’t the actual craft… But I love how this clever mama used it as a paint pallet.
Create dot paintings with q-tips and when the painting is done, just toss the supplies away for easy clean up.

Bunnies vs. Chicks CheckersCreate-Celebrate-Explore

These checkers were made for Easter, but you can make any animal you can think of, spend some time making them and then MORE time playing with them.

Egg Carton Snake Puppet
Kid Spot

I definitely don’t mind having these kinds of snakes around.
Make egg carton snake puppets and use them to tell a story.

Dragon (or Dinosaur) Puppet
Life with Moore Babies

Snake puppet too easy? Or perhaps he needs a friend.
This puppet is a little more work but you definitely get “crafty parent” brag rights!

Egg Carton Bird Feeder
Ginger Snap Crafts

Ah, yes, spring… wouldn’t that be nice…

Spy Glasses
Crafts By Amanda

Make some crazy glasses out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons and take some pictures.

Egg Carton Owl
MollyMoo

These little owls are made with a half dozen egg carton, use whatever you have on hand to decorate them.

Egg Carton Sailboat
Life at the Zoo

Not sure they’ll float far, but these sailboats sure are cute!

As for us, we use egg cartons as building blocks.  They’re perfect for toddlers because they are soft and quiet. Maybe we’ll paint them this snow day so it looks like we’re buried in egg cartons on purpose.

What can you make with left over egg cartons?
Tag us on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll share your art!

]]>

Photo via flickr

It seems to happen every time.
A forecast for 10” of snow just so happens to coincide with the same time we ran out of our usual half gallon of milk.

Unfortunately, this facilitates a need for the grocery store, which is, quite possibly, the worst place anyone can be before it snows. I ran by the store after going out to dinner with some friends with the intention of grabbing a gallon of milk before heading home.

Here’s a little RVA PSA: There is no more milk.  Anywhere.  None.  At least, not at my nearest grocery store.

Things that are also gone: toilet paper and beans. I don’t want to consider how the two are related.

At the counter I made conversation with the check out girl and she told me that one guy bought about 30 gallons of milk.

People. This is absurd.

Some guy is out there with 30 gallons of milk which we could only guess might have to do with this snow storm.

Milk expires. That means if you don’t use it, you lose it. What is it about snow that makes people need to consume an abnormal amount of milk?

Anyway… it got me thinking…. What is that guy doing with all that milk?

I did a little research, and here’s all the things you can do if you got a little delirious for dairy in the face of the snowpocalypse:

• Obviously, you can cook with it rice pudding, milk soup, and for dessert, milkshakes.
• You can freeze it. As it turns out, you can actually freeze milk.  So maybe he was stocking up, not just for this storm but for storms to come.
• Remove ink stains with it… because Lord knows you won’t be making it out to the dry cleaner in this weather!
• Take a nightly milk bath in order to stay warm and relaxed and combat the classic “snowed in skin”.
• On a related note, you can get shiny hair or remove make up with it.
• But you’re not the only one who could benefit from a little milk bath. Keep yourself occupied on a snowy winters day by repairing cracked china.
• And while your at it there’s some silver that needs polishing.
• Finally, clean that old leather item that has been just lying around.
• Sell it on the black market… seriously, scalp the milk.  Station yourself outside of the grocery store “hey, lady, I see you got kids. I gotta gallon of organic milk and it can be yours for $10.”  I bet you, people would consider it. What, with the shortage and all.

So, I guess it’s dry cereal for the Cole house (there was soy milk but not even snowmageddon made people want to drink that).  Unfortunately, this snow day, our silver will remain unpolished.

What’s the state of the grocery store where you live?  What did you stock up on?

Psssst… looking for a place to go sledding?
Find out how to bring snow day fun indoors!

Here are a few ideas for enjoying the white stuff indoors:

Make Snow Cream

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh snow

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In large bowl, pour sweetened condensed milk over snow.

2. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

3. Serve immediately or, place in freezer for 10 minutes, then serve.

Source: wikiHow

Store snow balls or icicles in the freezer

Make snow balls outside and then bring them indoors to store in the freezer. Alternatively, collect a variety of different sized icicles.   Inspecting them later when the novelty of outdoor fun has worn off can keep them busy for awhile!  Get the magnifying glass out, compare snow density from different snowfalls, measure the snow balls or icicles, or document their melting times outside the freezer.  And if you have a deep freeze freezer or can spare the space in your freezer, these frozen artifacts of winter are especially fun to bring out on a hot summer day!

Snow Bath Fun

Use the bathtub to create a mega sensory tub.  No, I am not suggesting the kids take a bath in the snow, but if you can put down some floor protection, think of all the ways kids can bring snow into the bathtub!  Snow shovels, or even a “snow brigade” of kids handing each other buckets of snow from outside requires teamwork and again, takes up a chunk of time!  This activity requires a little extra planning to avoid falls from any spilled/melted snow and ensuring it is only your bathtub that is packed with snow. Dump your ice tray into the tub before adding snow to pre-cool the tub so that snow doesn’t melt so rapidly.  Add paint or food coloring to paint with the snow, or use dump trucks and excavators to move snow.

Have you tried any of these ideas? Please share other suggestions of warm snow activities.

photo source: gatineaujoe, Flickr

*On the very last snow day in RVA a few weeks ago, we went to an empty parking lot that had been plowed and let our boys “climb every mountain” – the snow that had been pushed from the plow.  They are the only mountains of snow we will ever see here, but it served as a way to run, move and explore after cabin fever set in.

Snow (again) in Richmond.

It’s a (sometimes) rare chance to grab that sled and hit the “slopes”  We’ve made a list of some great places to sled around town when school is out (because it will be).

Please note that parks close at dark and it’s prohibited to sled on something weird like a sheet of metal- use a proper sled.  And, of course, please stay safe.

Have something you’d like to add to this list or want to make a note of something?  Comment below or send an email to Sarah@Richmondmom.com and we’ll get added (or a note made) nice and quick.

Forest Hill Park  This one is a Richmond Favorite.  In fact, I’m pretty sure that Forest Hill should be re-named “Sledding Hill” or “oh my gosh it snowed in Richmond Hill” or “At Least They’ll Sleep Tonight Hill” or “Hi, Mom, I’m on TV Hill” since it’s usually in the local news.

But wait there is more!! You can also go sledding at these places in the Richmond area:

Bryan Park 4308 Hermitage Rd., Richmond, VA

The entrance to the park is located near the I-95 interchange in the 4300 block of Hermitage Road

Byrd Middle School  9400 Quioccasin Rd, VA 23238

Chimborazo Park 3200 E. Broad St. , Richmond, VA

Enon Elementary School 2001 E Hundred Rd, Bermuda, VA 23836

Gambles Hill Park Please watch out for the street.

Libby Hill 2801 E Franklin St, Richmond, VA 23223 better for more experienced sledders (you know, pro sledding)

Maymont  2201 Shields Lake Ct, Richmond, VA 23220

(double check to see if they are open, as they may close if the roads are impassable (804) 358-7166)

Powhatan Park in Fulton Hill

Deep Run Park 9900 Ridgefield Parkway, Henrico, VA 23233

My son playing in the snow. (elatedexhaustion.com)

“No, no, no, no,” I repeated to myself over and over. “Don’t list it. Not again.”

I watched with baited breath as it cycled through. They are always in alphabetical order. His was coming up soon.

And there it was. Henrico County Schools were closed. Again. (And Chesterfield and Richmond in that case.)

“I really don’t have time for this. How can I get my work done when school is cancelled every other day? It’s too cold, then it’s snowing, then it’s parent teacher conferences and the holiday. Really, can’t they just have school? It’s not even supposed to get bad until later in the day!”

I tend to spout off when I’m frustrated. Uh-hem.

“I’m sorry, babe. I know you’ve got a lot going on right now. I can try to come home early so you can get some work done,” my husband countered in an attempt to calm the spiral that I had turned into.

“I just don’t know what to do with him. We are running out of things…” I trailed, trying to come up with ideas.

“Movie day?” my husband asked.

“He’s had so many of those lately,” I quickly dismissed his suggestion.

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” he responded as the TV regained his attention.

And there I was, left pondering how to keep a 4 year old entertained during yet another full day without school.

I googled it. “Have a movie marathon day!” said the internet.

I looked on Pinterest. “Do all of these amazing activities that you do not have the time to prepare or the materials for!” said the website that I love to look at but can never quite achieve the same results as.

I checked Facebook and Twitter and found statuses expressing similar dissatisfaction with the inconvenience of rearranging plans for the next day because the little ones don’t have school.

And then I realized how ridiculous I was being.

I was frustrated because my son being home from school meant I would be missing my plans of working from home on my writing, cleaning, and catching up on laundry.

I was frustrated that my morning TV would now probably include Disney Jr. instead of the TODAY show and that my lunch would no longer be a peaceful moment alone, but would rather include a chatty four year old and a lot of ketchup.

What if, I thought, what if having a snow day meant having an amazing day. 

What if I didn’t get the work done that I’d planned?

What if the bathroom goes one more day without scrubbing?

What if the laundry basket continues to overflow?

What if I used the snow day as a day to spend with my son, and instead of checking off my to-do list I made memories?

So I had a new plan. A plan to spend an amazing day with my son and leave the to-do list unchecked.

Well, except for the laundry. The little one will need clothes to wear when school opens again.

Love it or dread it: how do you feel about snow days? Let us know in the comments below and give us your best snow day activity suggestions!

 Snow Day got you down?
Keep you kids occupied with crafts
From the Archives:
Richmond Snow Days and the negative effects on parents: an unscientific study