So, you\’ve got your nose pressed up against the window this morning, staring at a blanket of white. It snowed like crazy and you can hear the kids starting to wrestle around, and you know it\’s only going to get worse. Before long, your nerves will be stretched and you\’re all going to need a plan of attack to escape being cooped up all day inside. Heading outdoors is preferable to being frustrated all day, so you\’ll need some simple snow activities to coax the kids outside.

It\’s time to turn off the TV, put down the video games, and get out the warm coats, mittens, hats, and boots and head outside for some old-fashioned snow games. Just in case you\’ve forgotten what to do with a pile of snow, here\’s a few suggestions.

Snowman: You can make one gigantic snowman or a whole family of snowpeople. Your kids may like to make one each and pattern theirs after themselves using some of their own hats and scarves, or even jackets to dress their snowperson counterpart. With just three snowballs graduating in size, you can fill an afternoon with fun and creativity, and exercise! Join in with the kids and you\’ll get your exercise, too. Pick up pine cones, sticks, rocks, or anything that you can find to use for eyes, nose, mouth, and arms. Embellish your snowman with props like shovels, brooms, or anything appropriate for your family, perhaps a hockey stick. Set up a whole family of snowpeople playing a game of hockey wearing your favorite team jerseys. Have fun in the snow and show off your talents… and your team colors!

Snow Angels: Be sure to dress warm for this activity! In an area where the snow is soft and undisturbed, have your children lay down in the snow and move their arms up and down, and their legs in and out. Then, carefully help them stand up and step away. Turn around and look! See, didn\’t you always know your little one was an angel! If you have garland you can even form a little halo to complete the scene.

Snow Igloo or Snow Fort: With just a few buckets or other plastic containers, you can make snow \”bricks\” to build a structure. Lay out your foundation by shoveling or tromping the outline of your building. Press snow into plastic buckets, then turn the bucket over and plop the snow brick out on the ground. Carefully place it on your \”foundation\” and repeat. Build your walls as high as you can and even build interior walls if you want. Your kids may need a little lesson in this, but they\’ll quickly become enthralled with building their very own house. If you\’d like, get out pictures beforehand of an igloo or a fort to give your kids ideas of where to start. You may even want to offer them some food coloring and water mixture and paint brushes to \”paint\” the walls or to create artwork. Don\’t forget to bring out some hot drinks for the workers!

Snowball Dodgeball: If you\’re familiar with dodgeball, you\’ll already know how this is played. Just substitute snowballs for a real ball and let the games begin! Choose up your sides, go over the rules, and start the onslaught of snowballs. Be sure to pack your snowballs just tight enough to fly, but not so tight that they become hard. You want the snowball to burst and go \”poof\” when it hits the other team member. You can also play more of a game of snowball tag, in which every kid stands on their own and is only out of the game when they surrender. No matter how your kids decide to play, be sure that you get out there and join in the fun. Running around in the snow is not only fun and exhilarating, it burns lots and lots of calories!

Snow Sledding: Even without a toboggan, sled, or a big hill, you can have fun sliding around on the snow. A large piece of cardboard and a snowbank can stand in for a sled and a hill. Look around the garage or house and find any larger pieces of cardboard, tarp, or even a big plastic snow shovel. You might even put the old plastic kiddie pool to work for the afternoon! If your yard doesn\’t have a hilly area, a little snowbank can provide some fun \”snow surfing\” especially for the younger children.

The next time your kids are getting restless, bundle them up in cozy clothes, and send them out into the freshly fallen snow. Grab the camera and join in the fun with your kids in their snow games. But, don\’t forget to get the hot cocoa mix out so you\’ll be all ready when they come in all rosy cheeked and sparkly eyed!

Come see us at ShowKidsTheFun.com and find out how to make a snowman plus so much more to make your winter fun!

Choosing to be a teacher can be one of the greatest decisions that anyone can make. Helping kids learn is one of those things that can be enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. Finding ways to make class interesting and engaging can be a challenge at times, and through teaching, your efforts will pay off better if you create a cool environment for your students to learn in. Making learning fun is a hallmark of what a great teacher is.

There are a few tricks that you can use to make class more fun depending on the grade level you teach. Below are some great tips to generate some fun ways to educate that maybe you haven’t though of before.

Role playing and interactive teaching are great ways to get a lesson to come to life. These are great ways to involve students in the process while having fun at the same time. The great thing about this technique is that it can be applied to almost every grade level.

Think about doing a class project that will involve a public demonstration at the end, such as a concert or art display. If you give them a real world goal to work on, they will be more inclined to learn and then to share what they came up with the rest of the school.

Try and develop things in the classroom that will keep them entertained and engaged. Maybe doing a competition or having some good games is the solution, or perhaps creating a presentation through various creative outlets will get their attention. The thing to do is to get them involved and time will go faster for both you and your students.

One other thing can be to develop a business or community based project that your students can put together. This will give them the experience of working together as a team on a real project that has real results.

Consider having a day off outside the classroom, like maybe a school picnic or some kind of activity outside or in the gym or auditorium. Let them have a good time, and perhaps you can incorporate some of your lesson goals in this activity too.

Maybe the thing to do is have a theme party when you take what you’ve been teaching in class and turn it into a fun day for the kids. Let them dress up as characters, bring food that relates to the theme, and let them be part of the process of planning. Everyone will benefit from creative lessons like these.

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