The temperatures may have temporarily risen here in the Northeast, but we know better. Mother Nature still has plenty of “winter fun” in store. Snow days are an inevitable part of parenting in many parts of the US, and yet every time they roll around we’re unprepared (like tax season, anyone?). Be ready for your next snow day with these simple activities that will keep your kids amused — for just long enough to catch up on your inbox.

Pajama-Friendly Boredom Busters for Snow Days

1. Pancake Designs

Have a fun-filled late breakfast in your warmest pajamas. Pick up several basic plastic squeeze bottles for the kitchen at a local cookware supply store or Amazon. Check out all these crazy pancake design videos and give some a try. Mix up some pancake mix, add food coloring, and have a blast!

2. Build an “Igloo”

Kids love to build snow forts outside. After they have turned their fingers into popsicles, encourage them to warm up in an “igloo.” Pull out all your extra blankets and pillows and encourage them to build a cozy fort in the living room where they can watch movies and play board games until dinnertime.

3. Learn to Code

There are many options online that can teach kids — and you! — to code, for free. Check out Codecademy, which turns coding into an interactive computer game. This activity makes learning fun and engaging and technological component will have them hooked for hours. It’s screen time you don’t have to feel guilty about.

4. Indoor Bowling

Finally! A Pinterest craft we can actually do! Granted, the DIY Bowling Game on Indoor Dishes is super fancy with its spray paint and red duct tape, but you could achieve the same idea with less. Simply raid your recycle bin for empty bottles, fill them up with sand or water, seal tightly, and roll a small ball at them. Keeping score will also help young children with basic math skills.

5. Nail Art

Have you seen this amazing nail art trend that’s spreading like wildfire? There are a million tutorials online to that promise to teach you how to create wild nail art at home. Most designs only require various nail polish colors, tape, nail polish remover, toothpicks, and cotton swabs. This is a time-consuming activity that is guaranteed to cure boredom. You and the kids will crack up at your failed attempts and have a great time bonding!

6. Modeling Clay

This is a classic “rainy day” activity from years past. Boxes of modeling clay can run you as little as $3.00 for a basic set of 12 colors. This is a great, inexpensive activity to have in your back pocket for emergencies such as snow days. Kids will spend hours creating fun little figures. As a bonus, after you pop them in the oven and let them cool, your children will have essentially made their own toys — which they will continue to amuse themselves with!

7. No-Cleanup Finger Paint

Finger paint with the little ones is so much fun, but not if you’re working from home and can’t supervise as well as you’d like to. For a no-cleanup version for the little ones, place a large piece of thick painting paper on a table and use painter’s tape along the edges to make it stay put. Cut a thick plastic storage bag — one that won’t tear easily — into a flat sheet of plastic. Squirt a few colors onto the paper and place the plastic over the paint and paper, seal with painter’s tape. Let the little ones smoosh the colors around to their heart’s content!

8. Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Make their afternoon snack a special one with ‘Hot Chocolate on a Stick.’ Keep regular sized marshmallows and a bag of chocolate morsels on hand. Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler or in a microwave. Thread the marshmallows on a bamboo skewer, drizzle with chocolate, and top with shredded coconut, sprinkles, and crushed M&Ms or cookies. Throw them in the fridge for 5 minutes to set the chocolate and you have a fun and tasty treat!

9. Make Collages or “Vision Boards”

This is another fun old-school activity that can be done with items you already have in the house. For the little ones, help them cut shapes from magazines and glue them onto colorful construction paper or glue them to drawings as embellishments. For older kids, create “vision boards” together. Create a visual representation of what they want to accomplish this winter, this year, or in their lifetime.

10. Build Your Own Pizza

Keep frozen pizza crusts, packs of naan, or even mini bagels in the freezer. Shredded cheese is another great item to have on hand as well as toppings like pasta sauce, ham, pepperoni, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, and olives. With some planning, you can have fresh veggies like mushrooms, onions, and peppers ready too. Defrost your bread of choice in the refrigerator and have the kids build their own pizzas. Bake them at 400 degrees for eight minutes and lunch or dinner is served!

For more ideas for how to unwind in your pajamas this winter, visit The Pajama Company at our blog, thepajamacompany.com/blog.