John Riggs, Townsquare Media

As you wake up with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, eating your Lucky Charms, hovering over your radio or frantically checking your Facebook for updates on whether or not your school is closed, you hear the news that makes your kids as giddy as your white trash uncle winning on a scratch ticket. “School is closed,” is what they say on the radio. Well, that may be good news for your kids but how are you going to pass the time now? If they cancel school, that means that the conditions outside are dangerous enough that they don't want to you to risk going outside for any reason. Here are my five ways to best spend the day with your kids on such a serendipitous occasion.

 

Flickr

Go Sledding


 

 

No doubt, school is closed because of snow. Time to use those sleds you got for Christmas or dust off your old ones from the shed. There are some great sledding places around Yakima. Franklin may be the best and most convenient, but it's always packed. We also have a list of places to sled in Yakima you can check out. When school is closed because of snow, take advantage of that snow.

 

onlyaparent.com

Indoor Camping

 

 

Who says your tents are for outdoor use only? Get some extra mileage on the tents you bought and set one up in the middle of your living room. Bring some snacks and play some board games. You can probably even make s'mores, so long as you don't set fire to the rug. If you don't have a tent, check out Big 5, Grumpy's in Union Gap or Hammer's Outdoor World should have small tents that are reasonably priced. If you don't have access to a tent, you can always make a fort out of couch cushions or drape a blanket over some chairs.

 

Flickr, scubadive67

Cook/Bake

 

 

Now that you have extra time with your kids, have them help bake in the kitchen. It's a wonderful opportunity for them to learn how to use the oven safely and how to make and create things that are fun to bake and fun to eat. Even if you don't have children's cookbooks, you can 'create' and see what happens. You'd be surprised what kind of fun pancakes you can make just by adding cocoa powder, sprinkles and flavoring extract. If you can, make the trip to Inklings Bookshop and pick up at least one children's cookbook. One of the best things about cooking and baking in the winter time is that the added heat from your oven will add to the warmth in your house.

 

Charter

Rent Movies On Demand

 

 

Thanks to the convenience of Charter and their On Demand service, you can just stay at home and watch movies all day. If your kids are sick of all of the DVDs you own, pop open your Charter On Demand browser and see what's available. Maybe even look into categories you don't normally open like News/Science and find something new an interesting. Sure, you can brave the outdoors and physically go to a video store or even a Redbox, but school is closed for your safety so I'd say stay inside and watch movies as a family. The good news about renting a movie on demand is you get to watch it now and pay for it later so you don't have to worry about paying for it just yet.

 

John Riggs, Townsquare Media

Pretend There's a Zombie Apocalypse

 

 

This one's easy. Just stay inside, the whole day. If you have to run outside to get anything, like the mail, run and then run back. Maybe peek through the blinds every so often. If you happen to see someone walking down the road, they're a zombie and are not to be trusted. If you see someone driving, pray for their safety as they try to escape.

 

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