10 fun and unusual ways to pass a snow day

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/europe/02/02/europe.snow/art.london.kensington.giant.snowball.gi.jpg caption="The snow storm brings out the fun in the best of us."]

AC360° Interns

So, you have a snow day – a whole blissful day off from work to spend any way you see fit. It may be tempting to waste the afternoon on the couch watching Law & Order reruns. But the more adventurous of you might want to use the wintry weather as an excuse to dust off your sleds (read: trash can lids) or bring out your shovel to build an igloo. Here are some fun, unusual ways to spend your snow day:

1. Shoot the snow! With a camera, that is. Embrace your inner nature photographer, and submit your photos to CNN.

2. Why stop at a snowman when you can build an igloo in your backyard? All you'll need is a saw, spade and plank of wood. Or, try a snow castle – like a sand castle, but without the beach, sun, and summer weather...

3. Trust chef Paula Deen to have a recipe for snow ice cream. Make good use of the fresh snowfall in your backyard!

4. Follow the lead of Washington's workers and schedule an all-out neighborhood snowball fight. Separate into teams and play ball! Snowball, that is. And don’t hog the fun – take your dogs with you and let them run wild in the snow.

5. If your kids are stuck home from school, don't just plop them in front of the TV or computer. Let them unleash their artistic side using the snow as their canvas, with some easy homemade paint.

Or, if it's too cold to even venture outdoors, here are some fun ways to avoid cabin fever:

6. Try making domestic doyenne Martha Stewart's homemade hot chocolate. If you're old enough, make it Irish.

7. Finally get around to starting that blog you've been planning since 2004. Or, help your child start one – use 13-year-old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson's celebrated blog as inspiration.

8. Gone are the days of Monopoly and Scrabble as games of choice for kids stuck inside on a snowy day. Here are some child-friendly iPhone apps for tech-savvy little ones.

9. Read a novel – yes, an actual book with paper pages that you turn by hand – before the iPad renders them extinct. Or, download or rent an audiobook online.

10. If you must play online games, make it for a good cause. Zynga, the developer behind popular games like FarmVille, has set up a fund to support those affected by the Haiti earthquake.