Surviving Snow Days With Fun Via @MelissaAndDoug {Review}

Last year I outlined some of my favourite Melissa & Doug toys for home and for the classroom.  Specifically, I am a loyal fan of Melissa & Doug puzzles, pretend play food, and construction sets.

This is an excerpt from an email I got today and it was received at a perfect time.  The weather was too crummy to bring the toddlers outside to play and I got some inspiration from Melissa & Doug on how to bring the outside in.  The following activities don't require many supplies so are fabulous to do in almost any setting.

Let the Sunshine In(side)- Add excitement to indoor play by bringing in toys your children normally think of as "outside" toys. From small slides and playhouses to bean bag tosses and hula hoops, many outdoor toys can be used indoors too! Just provide enough space to play safely.

Tape Hopscotch- Simply use masking tape to create the hopscotch board. Then add some dried beans to a plastic sandwich bag. Seal well with masking tape and you've got the hopscotch markers! Use different colored beans and/or rice for different players.

Create An Obstacle Course- Use masking tape to mark the boundaries of the course and add pillows to jump over (or onto), create “action” stations where the runner has to do something special according to instructions (ie., 5 jumping jacks), add something to crawl under (structure made from couch cushions - don't let them fall!), and of course, a silly grand finale (Ex: Jump as high as you can, then spin around while wiggling your whole body.) Rinse & repeat for lots of energy-spending fun!

Cardboard Bowling- Easey-peasy. Set up empty cereal boxes or the tubes from toilet tissue as the bowling pins. Use a small, plush ball as the bowling ball. For extra competition, put a number on each “pin” and keep score. This game works well in a hallway.

Animal Dancing Charades- First, choose an animal to imitate. Then, put on some fun, up-tempo music . Then, put on fast tempo music and dance to the song like a puppy, for example---wagging your “tail” and panting. You can also say things that the animal might say. For example, “I wish someone would take me for a walk.” The other person tries to guess which animal you are!

We did the Animal Dancing Charades and Obstacle Course activity to help get our wiggly children moving and to help them get their daily dose of exercise.  If you aren't a subscriber to the melissaanddoug.com email newsletter yet, I highly recommend it.  Visit their site to find the link to sign up as a member.  It's free, easy, and can score you some fab deals too.  They frequently offer promo codes and access to special offers to use towards the purchase of their quality children's toys.  Why not connect with them on Facebook and twitter too?

*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own.

My SNOW DAY Activities:

Scoop snow into a plastic bin or bowl  for sensory exploration.

Put snow into a measuring cup or bowl, mark the height, and check it every 5-10 minutes to track the level of melting.

Fill Spray Bottles with water and a few drops of food colouring to paint the snow.

Fill an ice cube tray with water and food colouring.  Cover with plastic wrap, poke toothpicks in the plastic film. Put outside to freeze, and use to paint on newspaper.

Do you have any SNOW DAY activities you would like to share with me?

*SnowFlake Image SnowCrystals.com