Snow Day Lesson Ideas for Teachers and Families

A weather closure can be a useful opportunity for simple at-home learning, but it does not need to become a full replacement school day unless the district has officially assigned remote work. These ideas are deliberately low-prep and can be adapted by age.

Weather observation

Record temperature, cloud cover, precipitation type, wind, and snow depth at two or three times during the day. Older students can compare observations with the forecast and discuss why conditions changed.

Reading and writing

• Write a short “snow day news report” describing conditions safely from indoors.
• Read a winter-themed story and summarize the setting, problem, and solution.
• Create a fictional school-closure announcement and explain the evidence used.

Math and data

• Measure snow depth in centimetres or inches and convert between units.
• Make a table of hourly temperatures and calculate the change from morning to afternoon.
• Graph snowfall or temperature using a simple hand-drawn chart.

Keep official school work separate

If the district has announced a remote-learning day, follow the teacher’s or school’s assigned work first. If it is a traditional snow day, these ideas are optional enrichment rather than required instruction.

For a weather-based planning estimate, use the School Closing Calculator.