By Ellie Spinosa
A&E Editor
A Winston-Salem backyard covered in snow from a past winter storm.
You wake up on a frosty, wintry morning to the glistening sight of snow and get really excited, wanting to go enjoy it. After a few hours, you get tired of the basic snow activities like having a snowball fight, sledding, and making snow angels. You want to come up with some new things to do, so I put together a guide of some non-basic things to do on a snow day.
Snow cream:
Maybe you’ve heard of it, or maybe you haven’t, but snow cream is a fun dessert, perfect for a snow day. It has a sweet, vanilla taste. You can easily make it on a snowy day. All you need is sugar, vanilla, milk or half-and-half, and some fresh, clean snow. Feel free to add any amount of the ingredients to fit your desired taste, but here is the way I like to do it.
Recipe:
- 8 cups of fresh, clean snow
- 1 cup milk or half and half
- Around ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions: Add snow to a large bowl. Mix milk, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Then, pour that mixture over your snow. Finally, stir, serve, and enjoy!
Snow animals:
We probably have all made or at least heard of making snowmen, but what if we spiced it up a little and made snow animals instead? Using acorns for eyes, sticks for antlers, and leaves for wings, create a mystical animal, or make your pet in snow form. You can even make a burrow or cave for its habitat. The possibilities are endless.
Instructions to make a snow deer: Get together a pile of snow. Form an oval for the body and four smaller, thinner ovals for the legs as if it were lying down. Place a head towards the front of the body. Add a small tail. Grab two acorns for the eyes. Grab two sticks for the antlers. Add some special touches, such as adding some leaves to some spots.
Snow painting:
If you are an artsy person, then you will probably enjoy this idea. Grab some spray bottles and fill them with water, then add food coloring. Spray the mixture on the snow to create cool patterns and fun, colorful art. Be sure to use food coloring because most are non-toxic, so they will not harm the environment and will wash away when the snow melts.
Cozy night in:
Sometimes, snow days can be too cold and exhausting, and you would rather spend time indoors and have a cozy night in. Put on some cozy pajamas and some fuzzy socks. Then, make a blanket fort to snuggle up in. Get a snack, such as popcorn or cookies, and a cup of hot chocolate to make it extra cozy and warm. Finally, throw on a movie and enjoy a relaxing night in.
Next time snow falls, give one of these activities a try to turn a simple snow day into a chance to make memories and try something new, whether it’s creating something delicious, crafting a piece of art, or enjoying a relaxing movie night! Snow does not last long in the 336, so use the snow days to the fullest!