The National Capital Region, and pretty much all of the Eastern side of the country, has been buried in snow the past few days! Here are some activities you can do to stay occupied during a snow day. Perfect to do by yourself or with some family or friends.
Snow days are the perfect days to put on your favourite sweater, a thick pair of socks, and cuddle up on the couch for a movie binge! To make things fun, you can even make it a themed movie marathon. Streaming services like Netflix make it super easy to find movies based on genre such as “Horror,” “Romance” or “Suspense.” If you’re a super fan of a specific franchise, you can do a sequel binge too like watching all the Harry Potters or Star Wars films back to back. Don’t forget to fill up on your favourite snacks too!
Homemade Maple Taffy
Talking about snacks, did you know that you can use snow to make some yummy treats? If you have an abundance of clean, freshly fallen snow in your backyard, try making your very own maple taffy! This Canadian staple is usually enjoyed at sugar shacks in early spring, but you can easily make your own from home in the middle of winter. All you need is a bottle of maple syrup, a candy thermometer, wooden popsicle sticks and of course some snow. Pour the bottle of syrup into a saucepan. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and boil over medium heat until the syrup reaches 232°F. Quickly, but carefully so you don’t burn yourself, bring the pot outside and pour the hot syrup in ribbons on a patch of clean, un-walked snow. As the ribbons of syrup begin to cool, roll them onto the popsicle sticks. Eat them while the syrup is still warm and enjoy!
If you’re going to be indoors for most of the day, why not do some DIY? This can be anything from craft projects you’ve saved on Pinterest and have been dying to try out, to any little home improvement projects that you’ve been putting off. If you need some inspiration, OLM has got you covered! Check out our “Home and Neighbourhood” section for a variety of different DIY and home improvement tips and ideas to keep you and your family occupied and productive on a snowy day.
Snowshoeing or Cross-Country Skiing
If the day is not too bitterly cold, use it as an opportunity to socialize and get some exercise. A lot of snow is the perfect condition for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing so we highly recommend you round up a group of friends and hit the trails! Here in the National Capital Region, Gatineau Park is home to beautiful trails that are open for skiers and snowshoers during this time of year. If you don’t want to pay for a day pass to the park, most of the public libraries in the region offer day passes that are free to borrow. If you don’t have your own pair of skis or snowshoes, community centres and the visitor centres at parks will have them available to rent. Pack some hot chocolate or tea in a thermos and you’re ready to go!