25 Things To Do On A Snow Day To Enjoy The Magic

Here are 25 indoor and outdoor things to do on a snow day to really feel the magic.

So you woke up this morning, peeked out the window, and boom – everything’s covered in a thick blanket of white.

Since you’re reading this post, I’m guessing maybe your school’s canceled, work’s delayed, or you’re just stuck inside watching the flakes fall.

Either way, you’ve got a whole day ahead of you, and no, you’re not going to spend it scrolling on your phone all day (I mean, you could, but please don’t).

In this post, you’ll find a list of 25 activities (both indoor and outdoor) that you can do on a snow day.

Pick what seems the most fun to you, and get the snow rolling!

25 Things To Do When It’s Snowing

Indoor Snow Activities

1. Make Homemade Hot Chocolate from Scratch

Making hot chocolate is the most classic snow activity. But instead of doing this out of packets, you’re going to make real hot chocolate from scratch.

First, heat milk in a saucepan, and then whisk in cocoa powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add vanilla extract and maybe a dash of cinnamon or peppermint extract.

Top it up with real whipped cream or marshmallows, and throw in a candy cane for stirring.

But if that isn’t good enough for you, then add crushed cookies (boy, do I have a sweet tooth or what).

Once your hot chocolate is ready, sip it slowly while watching a cozy comfort show. It’ll be like getting your liquid comfort on a cold day!

2. Bake Something Delicious and Warm

Fill your house with amazing smells by baking cookies, bread, or a simple cake.

Sugar cookies are easy and fun to decorate, so you can try those.

But if you have overripe bananas sitting around, then banana bread would be perfect. Honestly, even boxed brownies count as long as there’s some baking involved.

You just wanna make something warm and sweet to enjoy. Baking also heats up your kitchen naturally, making everything feel really cozy.

If you end up making too much, share your treats with the neighbours. They’ll love the surprise, and you’ll be spreading some snow day joy.

3. Have an Indoor Picnic

Have you ever had an indoor picnic? If not, then a snowy day is the right time to try it out for the first time.

Lay blankets on your living room floor and eat lunch picnic-style while watching the snow through your window.

Make sandwiches, grab some snacks, and pretend you’re having a summer picnic, except it’s better because you’re warm and cozy inside.

Play some outdoor-sounding music or nature sounds to complete the vibe.

It’s a fun way to break up the day and makes ordinary food feel like an adventure.

Kids especially love this, but adults enjoy it too, especially when there’s hot tea and baked goods involved.

4. Start a Puzzle or Play Board Games

Pull out that jigsaw puzzle that’s been sitting in your closet, or start a new one if you have one!

There’s something meditative about sorting pieces and watching a picture slowly come together.

If puzzles aren’t your thing, then dust off some board games. Play solo games like Solitaire, or text friends to play online versions of classic games together.

Card games work too! You can teach yourself a new one or play old favorites. Time moves differently on snow days anyway.

5. Reorganize and Redecorate One Room

Pick one room or even just one corner and give it a mini makeover.

Rearrange furniture, organize that messy drawer, or finally hang up pictures you’ve been meaning to put up.

Your new setup doesn’t need to be perfect, but just different and more organized than before.

If you don’t want to redo a big space, then just pick a small area like your desk or a cozy chair, and make it exactly how you want it.

You’ll feel accomplished, and your space will feel super fresh.

Must read: How To Organize Your Life In One Day Without Losing Your Mind

6. Make Desert in a Jar

Cakes, cookies, and hot cocoa are fun and classic, but dessert in a jar is just adorable and super cozy.

You can make baked blueberry cheesecake in a jar, or mason jar strawberry shortcake, or no-bake berry cheesecakes!

Picture yourself making one of these, and then decorating the jar, and then enjoying it with a book or a movie while watching the snow fall.

Pure Christmas, holiday, and winter magic vibes!

7. Do Yoga and Stretching To Relax

You don’t need to be super flexible or experienced to do yoga. Just stretch however feels good.

Look up beginner yoga videos online, or simply do basic stretches you remember from your gym class.

Even ten minutes of gentle movement will make you feel more energized and less stiff from all that cozy lounging.

I always do this 35-minute pure joy workout from PS Fit, and it’s crazy good. Perfect to stretch and relax on snowy mornings.

8. Create Something With Whatever You Have

We all have an artist and creator inside us, but we don’t get to tap into this side because of our busy routines.

Well, a snow day is the perfect chance to get creating.

Here are some ideas:

Draw what you see outside your window
Make a collage from old magazines and newspapers
Write a poem about snow
Start a short story
Paint using whatever supplies you have
Cook something without a recipe
Start a DIY project

You are not doing this to create a masterpiece. You’re doing this to put your hands, imagination, and creativity to use.

9. Write In Your Journal Or Start a New One

With everything outside so quiet and magical, you might want to make use of the silence to connect with yourself. And journaling is the perfect way to do that.

If you already keep a journal, then create a lengthy journal entry letting everything out on paper.

Talk about the day, how it’s going, what you’re doing to make it nicer, and everything that’s been going on in your life.

And if you don’t keep a journal, start a new one.

Pick any empty notebook and make an aesthetic cover for it, and write your first journal entry.

It’ll make all the coming snow days more productive and soulful for you.

10. Call Someone You Miss

Pick up the phone and actually call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. No texting allowed. You have to call and have a real conversation.

It can be your grandparents, or that friend from college you’ve been thinking about, or a sibling who lives far away.

Tell them about your snow day and ask about their day. Real conversations are so much better than endless texting back and forth.

You’ll probably make their day too.

After all, what better way to use unexpected free time than connecting with people you care about, right?

11. Watch a Show With Winter Vibes

With nothing else on your agenda for the day, watching a show might be the perfect way to pass the time and also make it indulging.

Pick something that has winter vibes, like:

Game of Thrones (Winter is coming!)
Stranger Things (my fav!)
Wednesday (cold, rainy, and spooky)
Northern Exposure (haven’t seen it yet, but have heard a lot)
Gilmore Girls (though it’s an autumn show, the vibes are perfect for snowy days)

You can also just play one of these shows that you’ve already watched in the background while you do your work and chores.

12. Read Something You Actually Want to Read

Grab that book you started but never finished, or pick up something completely new. It could be fiction, a magazine, articles online, or even poetry.

But you need to pick something that you genuinely want to read, not because it’s popular or supposedly life-changing.

For a cozy snow day reading session, set up a temporary reading nook by a window using blankets, pillows, and a throw.

Grab a hot drink, settle down, and let yourself get completely absorbed in whatever you’re reading.

13. Cook Something New

If you’re up for spending some time in the kitchen, then this idea is perfect for you. Cook something you’ve never made before.

First, look through your pantry and fridge to see what ingredients you have, and then look up recipes with those ingredients.

You can make soup from random vegetables, attempt homemade pasta, or finally use that spice you bought and forgot about.

You can also make a big pot of chili, try your hand at fresh bread, or create a stir-fry with whatever vegetables are hanging around.

Cooking something new feels really adventurous, because you don’t know how it’s going to turn out.

Even if the results are not to your liking, you’ll have learned something new, and the second time will be better.

14. Dance Alone

Put on your favorite music and dance around your house like nobody’s watching, because they’re not!

Dancing is a great exercise for your body, and it also makes your mind happy. Feels especially good when you’re cooped up inside.

Make a playlist of songs that make you wanna dance, turn up the volume, and let loose.

Sing along badly, dance ridiculously, and just move your body however feels good.

It’s impossible to feel grumpy while dancing to music you love.

More ideas like these: 41 Interesting Things To Do Alone To Embrace Solitude

15. Just Watch the Snow Fall

Sometimes the best part of a snow day is just being still and watching the world get covered in white.

Sit by a window with your hot drink and watch the snow come down.

Listen to how quiet everything gets when the world is covered in white, and let your mind wander without feeling guilty about being ‘unproductive’.

Snow days are rare gifts that force us to slow down. So, don’t waste this peaceful moment by feeling like you need to be doing something else.

16. Plan Your Next Trip

Use this quiet time to daydream and plan a fun trip for the future.

Research a trip you want to take, look up local hiking trails for spring, or plan a fun weekend activity for when the weather gets better.

You can also make lists of places you want to visit, things you want to try, and experiences you want to have.

Believe me, planning is almost as fun as doing, and it gives you something exciting to look forward to.

Outdoor Snow Activities

17. Make a Snowman

Well, of course, I have to start with the most popular snow activity ever — making a snowman!

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done this as a kid; it’s something every person who gets to experience snow should do on repeat.

Make your snowman look good by giving it sunglasses, a scarf, a cute hat, and pose next to it for a picture to remember this day.

18. Have a Snowball Fight

Gather your family, roommates, or neighbors for a friendly fight in the snow.

Make it interesting by creating teams, building barriers, or setting up targets instead of just pelting each other.

Make different types of snowballs, like loose and fluffy, and tightly packed.

You can also set up rules like capture the flag with snowballs or create a tournament bracket. It’ll make things more competitive and fun.

19. Go Sledding

If you’re in the mood for something thrilling, then nothing beats sledding on the nearest hill.

The steeper the hill, the more thrilling the ride, but please make sure there’s a safe place to stop at the bottom.

But if you don’t have hills nearby, even a small slope in your backyard can be fun.

Race friends down the hill, or try different positions like going backward or lying on your stomach.

And if you don’t have a sled, then just use a large trash bag, a cardboard box, or even a cafeteria tray if you have one lying around. Pool floats work surprisingly well, too.

You might like: 14 Winter Hobbies to Make Your Free Time Extra Cozy and Fun

20. Make Snow Angels and Play Snow Tag

Lie down in fresh, untouched snow and make the most dramatic snow angel you can.

Move your arms and legs as wide as possible, then carefully stand up to admire your work.

If you enjoy it, then make a whole family of snow angels in different sizes.

Oh, and you can also play snow tag, where being tagged means you have to lie down and make an angel before you can start chasing. Pretty cool twist (literally, lol).

21. Go on a Winter Photography Walk

If I had to pick a favorite snow day activity for outside, it would be this one.

Snow makes everything so different and magical, which is what makes it perfect for winter photography.

Grab your phone or camera and explore your neighborhood on foot while taking pictures.

You can capture interesting patterns in the snow, icicles hanging from roofs, and footprints in your backyard.

Snow sitting on branches also makes for beautiful shots, so get one of those for sure.

22. Build an Epic Snow Fort

Make a snow fort and treat it like a serious business. Where will the walls go? How thick do they need to be? And how many rooms are you going to build?

The better you plan it, the more epic it will turn out to be.

If you’ve got enough space and snow, then create multiple rooms.

Make it big enough to actually hang out in, with benches made of packed snow. Add windows, doorways, and a flag on top!

I know this isn’t the easiest thing to do, but if you’re up for a full day of snow adventure, then this one’s for you.

Once you’re done, grab a steaming cup of coffee and drink it in your fort.

23. Try Snowshoeing or Deep Snow Hiking

If you have snowshoes, this is the perfect time to use them. If not, just put on your warmest, most waterproof boots and go for a hike through the deeper snow.

It’s a totally different experience from summer hiking. Everything is quiet and peaceful, and you’ll see animal tracks you never notice otherwise.

Stick to familiar trails or your neighborhood so you don’t get lost.

The workout is intense but rewarding, and you’ll feel like an arctic explorer conquering the wilderness.

24. Go Ice Skating Or Just Slide on Frozen Surfaces

If you have a safely frozen pond, creek, or even a large puddle in your yard, try some careful sliding around.

Wear boots with good traction and test the ice carefully first, because, of course, safety always comes first.

If you have actual ice skates, then that’s the best. But if you have no skates, then just slide around in your regular boots for a few minutes of fun.

You can also create your own mini ice rink by flooding a flat area of your yard if it’s cold enough for the water to freeze overnight.

And if there’s an actual ice rink near you? Wow, are you lucky or what? Don’t think twice before heading over with friends and enjoy skating on frozen ground.

25. Have a Neighborhood Snow Olympics

If you’ve got a friendly neighborhood with people who are always up for interesting things, then you can organize fun snow competitions with them.

Set up events like snowball accuracy contests, snowman building races, or who can make the biggest snow angel.

Time people shoveling a set area, or see who can build the tallest snow tower before it falls over.

Create medals from cardboard and ribbon, or just award bragging rights (people always want those, lol).

It’s a great way to get everyone outside and laughing together, and you’ll all sleep well after all that fresh air and exercise.

Don’t miss: 31 Winter Bucket List Activities You’ll Love Ticking Off This Season

Make It Your Own!

The best snow day is whatever feels right for you today.

Maybe you’ll try everything on this list, or maybe you’ll find your own perfect way to spend these unexpected free hours.

Just enjoy this break from regular life and make it special for yourself.

Snow days don’t come around often, so when they do, embrace them completely.