“Don’t impress them with technology, let them be amazed by what they can create with it.” ~author unknown

After multiple snow squalls and ice events we are finally getting our “big” snow. Excitement is in the air as the children all stare at the clock waiting for that early dismissal bell to leave. The teachers are looking at their lesson plans for the week and feeling the pressure of keeping up with curriculum so they are on track for those state assessments in May. Assigning homework over the next few days not knowing how long we will be out can be a bit tricky. A little bit ago I offered ideas on how a LMS can be used for snow days however with real snow those kids will want to be IN it. Below are some ideas that incorporate snow day fun and academics-but be sure to get out with your children. This is where the memories are made.

• Once the snow starts to fall, measure it traditionally and non-traditionally. Document all data in an excel worksheet. Display it in a graph-there are several to choose from. 
• Write your name, or your family’s names, in the snow so they are all the same height and width. Using your mobile device, take a picture from the highest point to capture all of the names. Import the picture into Publisher, add a seasonal frame and print.
• Reenact a historical scene from a time period you are studying. Use the snow to build walls or cannon balls. Write a script that will allow all members of your family to participate. Record the event on your device and upload to cloud based sites such as Dropbox or your class’s LMS
• Scoop the same amount of snow in several bowls and bring them into the house. Place the bowls in different locations…some by an outside door while others are closer to the heater. Create a hypothesis stating how long it will take before they melt. Time them to check your estimations. You can also take pictures at different intervals to check the progress. Write a news article as though you are an accomplished scientist stating your findings using the images to support your data.