by Carol Smock

Created on: November 15, 2010

The alarm clock rings and you pull back the shades to confront a white world. Snow drifts everywhere Turn on the radio and you get the verdict: a snow day has been declared. The shouts of jubilant children accompany you to the kitchen. Now what?

Plan ahead for the next inevitable snow day by collecting and putting away some free and inexpensive supplies. Keep them hidden in an area that’s off limits for the younger set so you’ll be ready to keep them occupied when snow day excitement turns into cabin fever.

In a small bag, collect all of the socks that ended up with no mate. Mittens and gloves in the same situation will join them. Other free items to squirrel away are leftover fabric or yarn, the Sunday comic pages, scrap paper, orphaned buttons, empty spools, cardboard tubes from paper towels and such, egg cartons, small boxes, Styrofoam packing peanuts, used file folders, plastic containers, the wand from an empty bottle of bubble solution, heavy cardboard cut from boxes, clean empty tin cans, and plenty of newspaper.

From a discount store, buy blunt scissors, sharp scissors for older kids, school glue, heavy craft glue, markers of various kinds, crayons, construction and drawing paper, felt squares, small, inexpensive paint brushes, Tempera paint (dry),  tissue paper in several colors, a box of Ivory Snow Ultra, tape, a magnifying glass, spray bottles, food color, Cream of Tartar, cocoa mix, a box of pizza mix, a pepperoni, a chunk of Parmesan cheese, and waxed paper.

Snow fun

Go outside and conduct some experiments. Take along a cookie sheet lined with dark fabric or paper, the magnifying glass, the wand from a bottle of bubble stuff, and a bucket filled with this solution:

½ cup soap powder

½ cup sugar

3 cups hot water

Also fill the spray bottles with water and add some food color.

Set the cookie sheet on a level surface to get cold. In the meantime, blow a bubble using the solution in the bucket. Catch it on the wand and let it set in the cold air (must be below freezing to work). In a little while, you’ll have a crystal ice ball.

Once everyone gets to make an ice ball, designate a square of yard for each person and make a painting by spraying on the colored water.

By now the cookie sheet should be cold enough. Catch a few snowflakes as they are falling, and examine them under the magnifying glass.

After this, everybody grab a shovel and clear the driveway and sidewalk. Then build the world’s

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