Snow Day Survival Fun For Kids

Winter is one of my most favorite times of the year! I guess it kind of depends on where you live since there are some places that rarely even see snow or even worse, never see snow! I've lived in East Central PA and Northeast PA all of my life so we typically have plenty of snow days each year. We live in a much more rural area now then we did previously so it did take a few storms for us to realize we needed to plan and stock just a bit more than we used to if we want to have a Cozy Winter!

If you have children or grandchildren then you already know how crucial it is to have an abundance of games, snacks, toys, books, tissues, toilet paper, diapers, first aid supplies, and a gazillion other items on hand. Even when you're not stuck indoors! I always like to keep a list of everything that's vital to being stuck indoors whether it's for the kids to be occupied or my own sanity.

Plan For Outages

Remember when we didn't have cell phones and WiFi? Actually, I miss those days! I think that's one of the reasons I really don't mind being stuck indoors during a storm. The kids even look forward to it too! Well, with the exception of thunder according to my youngest,,, 

Even if you have a generator, it isn't too much fun if you lose power for too long. You don't want to have to throw away anything from your freezer or fridge and you will start getting cold soon enough if it's a winter storm. When you have a few hours or overnight without power, you can still make the best of it. 

Slumber party in the living room! Hopefully, you have some batteries, flashlights, and lanterns to use and lots of pillows, comforters, sleeping bags, or just big, comfy blankets anything that can provide hours of warmth!  Candles are a bonus in some cases but you certainly don't want to have any candles lit while you're asleep. (Or in a blizzard or any kind of storm with wind!) Not only will a sleepover in the living room help keep everyone warm, but kids are also usually more comfortable making a game out of it and doing something special. Use that time to read stories, eat snacks, play card games, (even board games if you have enough light!) 

PS Don't forget you could also charge your cell phones in your vehicle so you can keep up to date with important information and updates!  

The Essentials 

Besides batteries, an ample supply of food and water, toys, games, first aid kits, any prescription medication, whatever it is you and your family need in the event you're stuck for a few days, the best advice I can give is to prepare! 

Most weather gives some kind of warning these days. We may not be told exactly what or when but, we kind of get a warning or see an advisory pop up. I take those advisories and warnings seriously because you really never know. 

One of my biggest fears is to be stuck inside without power and not have any clean dishes, laundry, bottles of water for brushing teeth, drinking, cleaning and not having enough food. I keep a list of specific things we would need over the course of a few days and always keep those things on hand. Most importantly, prescription medications, feminine products, cleaning wipes, etc. But, I also run around catching up on laundry, dishes, making sure all of the blankets are washed, dried and available and batteries, flashlights, and weather radios are closeby and in proper working condition! You wouldn't want to run out of clean underwear during a power outage, right? 

Besides having a clean, spotless house with plenty of clean undies, make sure you also have something to occupy your time! Whether it's pen and paper, books, magazines, games, it's good to keep a box or a basket close that has all of your favorite goodies too. Your little ones will be having so much fun "camping out" and will be content with crayons and cookies but, depending on the severity of the storm, you may need something to keep yourself content. Make sure not to forget about the grown-ups! 

Do You Have What It Takes To Survive?

Everybody always talks about how important it is to plan for your future. "Save your money!" "Invest your money!" "Save for your kid's college education!" "Make sure you have a life insurance policy!" It all seems to revolve around having enough money, paying off debt, not having credit cards, spending a fortune for college, and then making sure you leave enough money behind for your family. But, there are more important things to think about. Such as: How to survive a zombie apocalypse, a nuclear war, a civil war, robots taking over, or an alien invasion. You may think this is funny but it isn't. (Ok, I guess the zombies and aliens might be a little funny.) But, survival is key to well, surviving and that's extremely important!

You might be thinking, "Ok, well, I am not going to dig an underground bomb shelter and store 100 years worth of food in there!" That's ok. I'm here to tell you that isn't necessary! As a matter of fact, a lot of items that could save your life are things you have inside of your house right now. Of course, some other tools, weapons, and food like this 72 Hour Kit from My Patriot Supply. But, you don't have to spend a fortune to make survival kits. 

Best Forever Foods

You most likely already have these items in your pantry. If not, it wouldn't hurt to stock a bit. Make sure that if you are stocking to use these items for a survival kit, they should be stored in the appropriate containers. They won't all last forever in their original packaging. 

Instant coffee

White, jasmine, or wild rice. (Not brown rice!)

Dry beans.

Dry Pasta. 

Cornstarch. (Cornstarch can also be used to make adhesives, cosmetics, deodorant, and to help loosen knots!)

Pure vanilla extract. 

Salt (No iodine!) Salt is also handy to help preserve meat. 

Honey

Maple Syrup

Distilled white vinegar. (can also be used for cleaning!) 

Sugar

Water

Beef Bouillon 

Stock These Regular Household Items

This is a list of some very simple household items that are usually found in your house. Some may not be, so, it wouldn't hurt to grab anything that is missing. You know, just in case! 

One of the most crucial things any survivalist needs is tinder for a fire. Be sure to have some tampons, matches, petroleum jelly, corn chips, Qtips, and chapstick. If you have any or all of the above, you'll be alright! Besides starting a fire, these simple items have many other uses as well. 

Tampons

These are great for everything from gauze to tinder to waterproof cases. You will want to make sure you have regular tampons. The kinds that come with an applicator and a string because each section can be great for many things. 

You can unroll the tampon and use as gauze or to stop bleeding. They are very absorbent and if you have a bad nosebleed, as funny as it may look, you could even put one in your nose to stop the bleeding. 

The plastic wrap and string could be used to store things inside and keep dry. For instance, you could pack some matches inside of the plastic wrap and tie shut at the top! The plastic wrap could also be used as a fishing bobber! 

Unroll the actual tampon, tear in half, add some petroleum jelly and you have a longer lasting, slower burning fire. 

Dental Floss

Dental floss is great for keeping your mouth healthy and can still be used for this in a survival situation. Storing dental floss is easy because it is very light and small. So, you'll want to have a few of these in your survival kits! 

Dental floss can be used for stitches, sewing clothing or any kind of fabric, you could use it to cut some foods. (Which will come in handy especially if you have to ration!) It could also be used to tie things. For instance, if you need to tie your belongings in a tree to keep off of the ground, use a few strands of dental floss. You'll want to test it to see how much you will need but for backpacks and other small things, a few strands should do the trick. 

If you do have to make any sort of weapons, dental floss may be used to tie branches together and to save rope from being frayed at the ends, and it works great for tying plants in your garden!

Chapstick

If you have a million tubes of chapstick hanging around like I do, grab a few of these and keep them with your survival gear! Yes, they are great for chapped lips and even chapped hands but did you know you can use chapstick to help loosen tools and to fix zippers? Not only that but, chapstick is great for keeping knives rust free. Just slide some across the blade and the chapstick will protect it. 

Chapstick is also great for protecting leather, protecting glasses, putting on your heels to protect from blisters if you're walking or hiking a lot, and when it's empty, you can use the tube for hidden treasures, like cash or to keep things dry. In a pinch, you could also use a little bit of cotton for a fire. 

Coffee Filters 

Coffee filters are excellent for many things! I use them for well, coffee of course but also to clean windows and mirrors. If you're really down and out, coffee filters are good for using as paper towels, toilet paper, a bowl for your pets, for yourself, as a plate, to clean things with, scrub pans, and as a candle holder. 

Water is key to survival. You can only really survive for 3 days without it. Believe it or not, a coffee filter makes a great pre-filter and can keep a lot of the dirt, bugs, all the ickiness out of your drinking water. Just remember to boil it after filtering! 

Seeds are always necessary and coffee filters will help here too! Just put some seeds in the middle of the filter, tie it up with some dental floss or twine and add water! You should start seeing sprouts in no time and then they will be ready to plant. 

Last But Not Least 

Steel wool and a 9 V battery can start a fire in no time! (Steel wool would also be great for scrubbing your pan used for cooking!) 

Alcohol is perfect for many, many things. Bartering, medicinal, mouthwash, (It seems gross but it will kill germs!), lowering stress levels, of course! It also works great to clean out wounds and to use for swimmers ear. (The alcohol will dry the water right up!) 

Non-lubricated condoms are better when you expand them first! Blow them up like a balloon and they can stretch and be used to store water, to tie down gauze for wounds, to protect feet and keep them dry, as rubber gloves when caring for a wound, as a fishing bobber, and one of the coolest uses, to seal jars or bottles! (Yes, they could also be used for what they are actually intended for too!) Actually, I should have given condoms their own category because the possibilities are endless! One of my most favorites is using a few condoms and a few sticks to make your own bow so you can shoot arrows! I bet you had no idea you could hunt your own meat with a condom, right? 

There are several websites and lists that come in handy for planning for emergencies. It's best to have a few days worth of food and water for each person in your house, at all times. Some would say that it would be even better to have more if you have the room and the money. My Patriot Supply has a variety of options when it comes to making sure your family is prepared when it comes to food. This is arguably the most important but, make sure to stock up on some non-lubricated condoms, tampons, alcohol, even cigarettes, (another good bartering idea!), dental floss, and coffee filters!