If you’re a home-grown New-Englander who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, this winter might mean a little reminiscing. We’re complaining about the back-breaking shoveling, the heart-thumping road conditions, and the branch-breaking ice…which is probably just what our parents did.

Of course, shoot back thirty years and this is the time of year when we came alive!  Then it was all about the sky-high snow piles that meant snow forts and tunnels. Wet, sticky snow was made for snowmen, snowball fights, and dare-devil sled ramps. And the snow days…how we lived for snow days!

Shoot forward thirty years again. The snow days. Ugh, how we dread the snow days. Today we have our kids so perfectly scheduled that any change in plans throws us completely off balance.

So, here I offer a few ideas for snow day activities. We either tried some of them today or have in the past. We could all use some creative ideas, so please feel free to share your snowy day activities!

Balloons- Okay, I admit that I try not to overuse these ’cause, you know, they get thrown away. But sometimes they come in handy. I blew up a balloon today and Max knocked it around the house all day. Well, not consistently, but this one little balloon kept him pretty happy.

I also filled a balloon with just a little bit of water and tied a cut rubber band to it. I showed Max how to swing it, but mostly he just wanted to try and break it. If you’re daring, let your kids have some balloon water toss games in the bathroom.

Indoor Basketball- I cut the bottom out of a shoe box and tied it to a banister. Max used a soft ball and attempted to score some points. This eventually evolved into bounce the ball down the stairs and into a bucket, which was pretty fun.

Penny Point Game- Separate a piece of paper into four, eight, or ten squares, each numbered. Secure the paper to a flat surface and let your children flick pennies onto the squares. Add up points and play to a certain number. Make up rules, like pennies can be knocked out by next player.

Scientist in the house- Every young kid loves the baking soda and vinegar thing. Make a little volcano and have it “erupt”. Try using the combination to clean pennies, or to inflate a balloon. Turn water into ice and then ice back to water and then water into steam, introducing the solid, liquid, and gas concept.

Art- bring out the paints but forgo the typical paint brushes and instead use sponges, cotton balls, string, toy trucks, cut fruit, styrofoam, and anything else with an interesting texture.

Snowball fight- forget the back-breaking shoveling for a few minutes and remember what is was like to be a kid in the winter time.

For many of us, Martin Luther King, Jr. day will be a day off from work. For Barack and Michelle Obama, it will be the eve before a presidency. And it will be something else. The Obamas have asked the national community to make this weekend, and Monday especially, a day for giving back.

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to show my preschool son what it means to be part of a community. To learn to give what you can because you never know when someday, you might need to be on the receiving end. To learn that we all need a little help sometime.

Maybe our family will paint a room in a homeless shelter and remember that we have a home to go back to.

Maybe we’ll bag food at a local pantry and savor the dinner that comes later that day.

Maybe we’ll bring winter jackets to a Goodwill drop-off and be thankful we are not shivering on our way out the door.

Maybe we’ll spend time with someone who has no one, and call a friend to say hello the next day.

Whatever we do, it will be an important beginning for our young son. Just like the man for whom the day is named, we will give back. We will attempt to answer “life’s most persistent and urgent question”.

Watch Michelle Obama’s video and check out some of the local community service opportunites.