As I write this article to you, it's Friday, January 18, the night of our second snow day thus far. Our first snow day this season was back in November when we had a hard snowfall with accumulations approximately 5-6 inches. Our second snow day occurred overnight with accumulations of about less than an inch. As I ate breakfast that morning, I was able to enjoy homemade corn muffins with a few flakes falling from the sky. However, this past weekend, parts of New Jersey, mainly Northern New Jersey, saw approximately half a foot of snow. On the other hand, parts of Central New Jersey saw a mix of snow and rain.
Keeping an eye on the weather the past few days, my town was lucky enough to miss the snow completely. We only received heavy amounts of rain over the course of 12 hours. Many counties in North Jersey received the accumulations that were expected. In Buffalo and Rochester, New York, people saw as much as 18 inches of snow!
Despite Winter Storm Harper's unclear forecast in some areas, snow is a large makeup of our winter season. The list below will address all the fun activities you can do (outdoors and indoors) during a snowstorm that forces you to put the phone AWAY.
Go ice skating
Only if the roads are plowed and safe to drive! Ice skating is a super fun way to spend time with your friends or significant other, and it is relatively inexpensive.
Go sledding
With the proper equipment, gather friends and family and go sledding. For the more competitive individuals, you can even incorporate relay races involving sledding!
Build a snowman
Who said building a snowman is only for kids! It calls for great bonding time with others. You can customize the ideal size for your snowman, use your creativity with fashion and come up with a fun name!
Winter photoshoot
This one is the exception for using a phone! As long as you bundle up according to the weather, grab some friends, find an open field or a nice tree, throw some snow in the air, and snap the perfect pictures!
Have a bonfire
Now, if it's 10 degrees outside, I don't suggest you have a bonfire, in that case get your indoor fireplace going, make hot chocolate, and call it a night. As long as it's not a bitter cold night, invite friends and family over for a bonfire with plenty of blankets, hot cocoa, laughs and of course, S'MORES!
Cooking/Baking as a family
The best time spent together is when it's spent with family. Pick your favorite meal and prepare it together. Top it off by making your favorite dessert too. What better way to create wonderful memories.
Read a book/write
Personally, I'm not a big reader, with the exception of books for school. However, since I love writing, I spend some of my snow days writing poems. Pick your favorite notebook or book, cozy up with a blanket and fuzzy socks, and relax.
Draw
If you're an artist or invested into trying new things, take the time to sketch, color or paint.
Play cards
Whether you like to play alone or with someone else, there's plenty of card games to enjoy throughout the day.
Family game night
My family grew up playing board games to allow for some friendly competition. As youngsters we enjoyed Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Apples to Apples, etc. Then graduating to Monopoly, Battleship, Risk, and Air Hockey, and of course, the electronic games like Wii, WiiU, XBox, PlayStation, etc. A great way to spend a fun night with the entire family!
 Family movie night
My family movie night can consist of watching comedians Sebastian Maniscalco or Jeff Dunham, and enjoying the Food Network with Guy's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, etc., while enjoying freshly baked cake, brownies or chocolate chip cookies while sipping on piping hot coffee or hot chocolate.
Whether your town is supposed to receive large accumulations or not, keep this list handy for the next snow day!
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