Brain Freeze! What Do We Do on a Cold Day in Florida?

A young child wearing a sweater, hat and scarf. The hat is pulled down over his eyes and he is laughing. The title of the post "What to do on a cold day in Florida" is included.By now, you’ve heard! A possible “wintery mix” or SNOW(!) is expected to head to the Panhandle early this week. Pensacola Mom Collective has got you covered on all the best “stuck at home” activities for you and your family.

Let us know if you do any of these, and tag us on social media so we can share all the cold weather fun!

Puzzles or Board Games

It’s time to break out your family favorites! Plan a game night with your kids or challenge siblings to see who can put together a puzzle the fastest. For little ones, don’t forget about the simple games we used to play, too – like Simon Says, I Spy, or Go Fish!

Create a Fun Adventure Zone

Turn your living room into a “Floor Is Lava” course or build a huge fort (yes, it’s an extra mess, but the kids will have so much fun – they’re stuck at home, too!

Conduct an “Ice Experiment”

On a night of expected freezing temps, do an “ice experiment” by placing a small toy in a cup or bowl of water, setting it outside, and then seeing if it’s trapped in the ice when you wake up in the morning!

Watch Your Favorite Movies

Movies and snacks are a classic indoor plan that you can turn into a day or night full of your favorites. An extra idea to add to this: let each child pick their favorite movie to watch throughout the day with the family so that everyone gets to be “in charge” 😊

Indoor S’mores

In the fireplace, on the stove, or in the microwave…this favorite treat isn’t just for summer!

Snow Ice Cream

Make snow ice cream (if there’s enough for us in FL!) – here’s a recipe from Kansas City Mom Collective.

Hot Chocolate

Make hot chocolate (the limit does not exist when it’s literally freezing outside). And don’t forget the extra marshmallows!

Bake Something New or Cook a New Recipe

This is a great way to get the kids involved, or if you prefer to be in the kitchen alone (no judgment – I certainly enjoy cooking alone!), pretend you’re at a fancy restaurant and serve them the newest dish on the menu.

Arts and Crafts

Color, get the paints out, or make a keepsake craft like this one for Inauguration Day 2025. And never underestimate the power of a coloring book for a little (or big) kid!

Sensory Bins

Grab your uncooked rice and excavators, cooked spaghetti and scissors, or kinetic sand. Kids love staying busy with these activities that we may not get to do every day.

Reading Together

This can be a lot of fun at any age. Pretend you’re at the library, check out books for each other, draw book titles from a hat to choose what to read next – make it work for you!

No matter what activity, we could all use a day where we’re forced to slow down and just hang out at home.

We don’t get weather like this very often, so let this be your chance to make it fun and make it memorable!

And stay WARM!

Amelia Woods
Amelia is a Pensacola native, born and raised, and a UWF alum. She is a wife and mom of two boys and works as a paralegal for a local law firm. In her free time, Amelia enjoys creating in many different forms: through writing, embroidery, decorating her home, and sharing relatable mom-life content on social media. Close to Amelia’s heart is her mission to raise awareness for congenital heart disease/defects (CHD); Amelia’s oldest son was born with a critical CHD and underwent heart surgery as a newborn. From that experience came a passion to help other families by advocating for the CHD community, CHD research, and connecting with other parents who’ve walked similar paths.

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