I woke up at 5:10 this morning—without an alarm. Know why? Because we had declared a self-proclaimed “Snow Day” at our house, giving each other the (unnecessary) “permission” to sleep in! But those two words still…to this day…strike excitement in me, and I just couldn’t sleep any longer!

It’s cold in the Midwest this week. And it’s going to get colder. No, seriously…freakishly cold.

I’ve been super impressed with the schools, businesses, organizations, cities, and towns that have pre-cancelled events, acknowledging the dangers of bitterly low temperatures and their resulting wind chills. It’s wise. Safety matters more. In most cases, the work can wait. In most cases, the need to be out and about pales in comparison to the impending dangers of abnormally frigid temperatures.

But I also realize that an extra two or three days off of school can present a whole new set of challenges for those with children at home or for those who seriously may be wondering what to do with all this unplanned “free” time. My advice? View this time as a gift, not a burden. Seriously. It will change how you use the time you’ve been given over the next few days!

Enjoy some extra screen time, but let it be a “treat,” not a time-consuming force.

Yes, it’s fun to post a picture or two on social media, but then…move on. Don’t let the “it’s colder where we are than where you are” and “we’re worse off than anyone else” competition keep you glued to the screen. It’s cold. The snow is pretty. Post it. Share it. Enjoy it. But go to bed at night knowing that your gift of time was cherished, not squandered by a need for “likes,” comments, and more photos than you need to take the time to share. Remember, it’s not bad to have a little more screen time, but it’s a little off balance to let it be the only thing you can write in your journal at the end of the day! [Yes, I started with this one because it’s the most likely gobbler-upper of “free-time.”]

Play games—even if you’re home alone.

Go through the game closet and dig out some of the “oldies” that your family enjoyed in the past. Keep the time short (i.e., only a few rounds vs. an entire afternoon of Uno). It helps to avoid grumpiness and tiredness-related fierce competitions. Games are good for the mind, so don’t think that just because you’re alone or because it’s just the two of you that you can’t sit down and play a game! I’ve beaten myself many a time at a good round of Mancala!

It’s okay to play something on your screen, too, but you may be surprised at how the conversations you’ve been hoping would happen will happen around the kitchen table while you play games…together.

Throw in some fun twists to the normal “rules” of the game:

• Play SkipBo in both directions (i.e., You can stack cards in ascending or descending order…at any time!)
• Play “round robin” checkers – when there are more than two people, the next person at the table makes the next move, regardless of color (i.e., no teams, just individual moves)
• The winner of the game doesn’t have to help clear the table after the next meal
• Borrowing the concept from Uno, if the person who is about to go “out” on the next round doesn’t announce it (e.g., “One left”), someone else can “catch” that person’s error and then hand the person one of his or her own cards, Domino tiles, etc.
• Use a family favorite, age-appropriate twist that suits your playing style – e.g., when you receive a “Draw Four” in Uno, you have to draw four, but then you get to get up, walk around the table four times, and hand one of your newly drawn cards to the fourth person away from you at the table

Make reading a reward.

After a noisy, excited, “now-I’m-bored” couple of hours together, everyone (especially the parents) needs some quiet time alone. At a given time, encourage everyone to grab a favorite blanket (or have them build a personal “reading fort”) and get a favorite book from the shelf. (This is a fun time for older kids to re-read some of their childhood favorites from their bookshelves.) Set a time limit during which no one may get up, leave their spot, etc. (other than for emergencies or bathroom needs, of course).

At the end of that time, everyone should meet in the kitchen, family room, wherever, to have hot chocolate and/or a simple snack. During this time, let each person at the table share about one fun or interesting thing that he or she read.  Keep the length of the reading time age-appropriate. Don’t overextend it. Make them eager to return to the book later!

Have a slumber party.

Sleep in sleeping bags in a common area (e.g., the family room or living room) or on the floor in the parents’ room. If school has already been cancelled for the next day, let them stay up a little while longer. (Keep it age-appropriate…lack of sleep isn’t good for littles’ temperaments the next day, so choose your battles based on your family’s sleep habits!)

For added fun, watch an old movie (a funny one as opposed to a scary one…duh!) and enjoy popcorn (no caffeinated beverages!) while you watch together.

Work on a household project or craft project together.

Working on regular household chores should not be neglected, but it also shouldn’t be the summary of “time off” from school or work. Instead, this refers to something like each person pitching in time and talents to choose (or draw, color, create) and frame a photo for the new “gallery wall” you’ve been wanting to hang. Not only will it look good, but each person has now become invested in the project, filling it with memories as well a new look for the room! And for criminy crickets, it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Check Pinterest for a simple, doable, realistic, age-appropriate crafty-type project to do. Seriously, make it fit all of those criteria! And keep it short. Tedium is not the goal! Togetherness is. For added lesson-building time, use that craft as a gift for someone else. Teach the lesson of sharing through this craft.

Enjoy your time together. 

If your children think it’s no fun for you to have them around for a few extra days, you can be certain that they will do their part to make sure it’s not fun for you to have them around for a few extra days! So enjoy it. Even if you don’t. The more fun you make of it, the more fun you’ll have!

So now it’s your turn. Feel free to leave a comment (or a photo on the social media shares of this post) with a positive idea that you are actually doing or that you are choosing to do from this list in order to enjoy your time off from work or school during the Freeze Out of 2019! Please post these before noon (CST) on Friday, February 1, 2019. Hashtag it! #FrozenFamilyFun

As an incentive for you to share, Joe and I will choose a winner from the entries submitted (photos don’t earn extra credit, they’re just fun), and the winner will receive a FREE copy of our 365-day devotional (suitable for individual, couples, or family readings…affiliate link follows), Pages of Promises! The winner will be announced via social media on Friday afternoon and via our Saturday blog post!

Stay warm. Stay safe.