Snowed in? Fun ideas for kids — and adults

Remember the thrill of a snow day when you were a kid? Holding your breath while you desperately listened for your school’s name to be called on the list of closings? Somehow, we grew up and snow days turned into a scheduling and driving headache.

If you’re lucky enough to get a snow day this week, we thought we’d prepare a list of fun things for kids and adults to do to shrug off the stress and enjoy the day (once the danger has passed).

Family-friendly

1. Take an old spray bottle, fill with water and food coloring. Then head out into the snow and write your name, or make a face or colorful designs on your snowman (just don’t spray on a bare fence or anything that might stain).

2. Create a Kids’ Idol show where the youngsters dress up like their favorite artists and perform. You can videotape, then later watch with popcorn.

3. Create a picture on a window with dry-erase markers. When finished, close the curtains, go outside and see what it looks like. You could also practice writing backward.

4. Have your kids write a movie script, create costumes and “stages,” and then film. After dinner, snuggle down on the couch to watch your creation.

5. Snazz up a cookie-baking session by turning it into a scavenger hunt for items around the house to use as shape cutters, or stash toppings in unusual places and let the kids hunt for them.

6. Take a pretend camping trip in your living room. Pack up your blankets, pillows and snacks and tent (or a large blanket to hang over two chairs). Cut up orange, yellow and red colored paper to make a fire, sing songs, tell ghost stories and eat your snacks. Then snuggle up for a nap in the tent and pretend it’s night.

7. Blow bubbles outside. When it’s really cold, the bubbles shatter when they hit the ground, which is pretty fun for kids to watch.

8. Collect fresh, clean snow and make real snow cones by drizzling fruit syrup over the top. Or make your own snow ice cream (mix 1 gallon snow; 1 cup white sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and stir in up to 2 cups milk until desired consistency).

9. Knock on the doors of elderly to make sure they’re OK and offer to shovel their driveways for free.

10. Play themed relay games, like a race to get dressed in all their snow gear.

For adults

And looking for ways to amuse yourself? Here’s a few ideas for adults:

1. Make an abominable snowman. It’s like a regular snowman, but less friendly to passers-by.

2. Put on your fanciest evening dress and jewelry, grab your cocktail and pretend you’re in an old movie.

3. Do that mending and ironing you’ve been putting off since 2004.

4. Make freeze-ahead dinners. The ones you wish you had right now.

5. Shred your pile of old documents. Better yet, multi-task. Use them to light up the fireplace.

6. Change the batteries in the smoke detectors, since you forgot during Fall Back.

7. Find all the lids to the Tupperware.

8. Go through your junk drawer. Do not be afraid.

9. Make a master calendar for gift-giving dates. Shop ahead online. Or for yourself. Pretend there are sales.

10. Actually use those cross-country skis, or skates or snowshoes you were always planning to try out after a big snow. C’mon, you can do it!

11. Order seeds and plants for your spring garden. Yes, spring will come eventually.

12. Update your resume. Hey, it’s better than doing it at work and leaving it in the copying machine.

13. Take out all the beach chairs, umbrellas and boogie boards and make a beach day in the snow.

14. Collect all the pennies from the corners of the house, coat pockets, sofa cushions, jeans in the laundry. Maybe you’ll have enough for a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Then again, maybe not.

15. Write a letter. You know the kind, with pen and paper.

16. Play family-friendly spin the bottle with your chore list. Hope it doesn’t point to you when it’s time to clean toilets.

17. Take pictures of all your belongings to inventory for insurance. Now do a written inventory.

18. Sleep.

19. Catch up on all that gunk you’ve recorded on your DVR.

20. Look at Florida real estate online, so you never have to read this again.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.