Published on: February 29, 2016
When schools are closed for snow days, most school staff has the day off to sit around in their pajamas or play in the snow. At TSC on snow days, we are working. We use this time to create new materials for our kiddos, review data and discuss our kiddos’ progress, and brainstorm new programs and activities for them. The kiddos may not be at school, but we are thinking of them and working hard for them to make sure we are providing the best quality services when they are at school.
Snow days make for a tough change in routine for a lot of our kiddos. It may be hard for them to understand why they are not going to school and then hard to transition back to school after a day (or more) at home. Here are some general tips* that may help with this change in routine.
The Change in Routine – Staying Home
- Tell your child they will not be going to school as soon as you find out
- If you do not know the night before, tell them that they may not be going to school, then tell them as soon as they wake up whether they will be going to school or not
- It may help to have a visual (e.g., picture of home and school) to show them whether they will be going to school or staying home (see below)
- Talk about what they will be doing instead of going to school
- E.g., “You are going to stay home and we can play in the snow.”
“Grandma is going to come over and play with you.”
- E.g., “You are going to stay home and we can play in the snow.”
- Have activities planned for them to do at home (see below)
- Make a special snow day box of activities for them to choose from
The Transition Back to School
- Tell them they will be going back to school as soon as you find out
- If you do not know the night before, tell them that they may not be going to school, then tell them as soon as they wake up whether they will be going to school or not
- Talk about what they will get to do when they go back to school (the night before and in the morning if possible)
- E.g., “You will get to see your friends/teacher/therapist.”
“You will get to play in the Maze/play on the computer.”
- E.g., “You will get to see your friends/teacher/therapist.”
*Talk to your child’s consultant for specific tips for your child
Activities for Snow Days at Home
- Get crafty
- Make snowflakes and snowmen with paper
- Make snowmen out of marshmallows
- Make snow bottles with water bottles, glitter, and paper
- Make a fun activity out of something your child is learning in class/ABA
- Matching – Cut out snowflakes and snowmen and have them match the pictures
- Identifying objects – Find a winter scene on the computer and have them identify objects in the picture (pointing to them or saying the name of the objects)
- Counting – count snack items (raisins, gummies, crackers) before eating
- Find an educational app or website with games that focus on making academics fun
- Talk to your child’s teacher/SLP/OT/consultant for specific ideas for your child
- Play time – take some extra time to play with your child
- Have your child pick an activity or join an activity they are engaged in
- Let them lead the activity and you just play along
- Play in the snow – go sledding, build a snowman, make snow angels
- Make a fort out of pillows and blankets
- Play hide-and-seek or simple board games
- Have your child pick an activity or join an activity they are engaged in
- Cuddle up and watch a movie together
Please know that the TSC staff is working hard on the snow days for all of our kiddos and we miss them!
By Anne Stull, M.A., LPA, BCBA