It’s 5 a.m. on a cold, wintry morning. Snow is blowing outside, and your phone rings. It’s the call parents dread, and kids celebrate: the automated message from your child’s school – due to winter weather, school is closed today.
Whether it’s an old-fashioned snow day or your kids are e-learning, there’s plenty of time to fill between building snow forts, doing math on the computer, and sipping hot chocolate. If you’re looking for a few fun, easy kids activities that’ll fill up your snow day while giving back, check out our suggestions below.
Hand-write a letter to your local food bank
Every day, the Feeding America network of food banks is hard at work connecting our neighbors facing hunger with the food they need to thrive. That’s thousands and thousands of people volunteering, cooking meals, advocating, sorting produce, and so much more. For a fun snow day activity, ask your student to write a letter thanking your local food bank or agency partner for their work. Not only is it a great way to practice a little writing, it’s also a heartfelt way to brighten the day of people across the country who are working to end hunger. Then, find your local food bank and mail it to them!
Draw a picture of a better world
Does your student need a brain break from math, science and reading? Pull out the coloring supplies and ask your student to draw a picture about giving back.
Some prompts might include:
- What does it look like when you help someone?
- What does your community look like when everyone has enough to eat?
- Draw a self-portrait of how you feel when someone helps you
Follow your local food bank and Feeding America on social media and share your student’s artwork with us!
Take the “Waste it or Taste It” quiz
It’s a quiz, but it’s not school! Teach your student about food waste with this fun “quiz” that’ll encourage them to reframe how they think about what food should and shouldn’t be thrown away. And, while you’re talking about food waste, consider trying these three easy ways to reduce food waste in your home.
Collect food for a food bank
Use your time at home to put together a bag of shelf-stable donations for your local food pantry or food bank, then put it aside for drop-off once the weather is better. Make it fun by asking your student to pick out food from your pantry that they like and would want to share. Just be sure to consult our guide on what you should and shouldn’t donate to a food bank before getting started.
