Snow Day? Hurray! Avoid Cabin Fever With These 8 Activities
The Dalles, OR, January 19, 2024 – Looking for something to do amid yet another snow day? Here are some ideas to keep you sane and entertained.
Things to do in the Columbia River Gorge when it’s snowing:
Play in the Snow
The gorge is a great place to enjoy snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, snowboarding, snowball fights, and winter waterfalls.
Check out Mt. Hood Meadows current conditions or just walk out your backdoor!
Build Something Out of Snow!
Something isn’t beautiful because it lasts! Enjoy the snow by building a snowman, a fort, a volcano, an igloo, a fort, a castle, a sculpture. Need some ideas? Click here!
Bird Watch
Put out some bird feeders and a bird identification guide and enjoy some bird watching from the warmth of your home. Or go on a winter hike and see if you can spot Bald Eagles, Hawks, Ducks, and Herons.
Practice Animal Tracking
Go on a walk and practice identifying animal tracks! See how many different kinds of animal tracks you can find! Just be sure you pick your snow carefully so you don’t end up ingesting anything weird…like pollutants. Learn to identify common animal tracks by clicking here!
Make Snow Cones, Ice Cream, Maple Syrup Snow Candy in the Snow
The entire outside is like a giant freezer right now! So why not make something tasty with all that ice! Check out some recipes by clicking here!
Make Snow Art
Add some watercolors or food coloring to the snow and paint a picture or add color to your snow structures! Or use geometric patterns to create massive snow murals like Simon Beck!
Blow Bubbles outside!
Blow some bubbles and watch as they freeze!
Have a Scavenger Hunt in the Snow
Bury some water proof treasures in the snow for your little ones or your significant other and send them on an adventure to find it!
Prefer to stay inside? Avoid Cabin Fever with these six tips:
Create a snow day routine. Even if that just means waking up at the same time and brewing your coffee as usual.
Get good sleep. While it might be tempting to stay up late, you’re better off getting in those Z’s. It’s normal for most people to need between an hour and two hours more sleep during winter than during other seasons of the year.
Get outside and exercise. Don’t let the snow hold you back from enjoying a bit of nature walk. Getting outside will help you stay grounded and work off any excess energy by getting some daily exercise.
Get creative. Lean into the time indoors by enjoying your favorite hobby, reading, practicing a new skill, making music, painting, writing, crocheting or building a blanket fort.
Socialize. Play games with your friends or family. Or if you live alone…embrace the fact that it’s a big virtual world out there. Reach out to friends for a phone call, text conversation or to watch a movie or play a game together.
Recognize that it's not forever. Not every day can be a snow day, so make the most of it! Eventually society will continue on as it usually does and things will be back to “normal” whatever that means.
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