Doctors Say Old-Fashioned Snow Days Help Kids' Mental Health

While New York City prepares for a major winter storm this weekend, the mayor's announcement that there won't be traditional snow days has sparked an unexpected conversation about what children really need.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani told students he had to apologize, but there wouldn't be old-fashioned snow days anymore. Instead, kids will shift to remote learning when storms hit.

Mental health experts aren't celebrating that decision. They say unplugged snow days offer something children desperately need in our always-connected world.

"From a mental health standpoint, the old-school, unplugged snow day is actually very healthy for kids," says Jonathan Alpert, a New York City psychotherapist. "Sometimes the healthiest message we can send kids is simple: 'Today, go outside and have fun.'"

Snow days shouldn't be viewed as lost time, Alpert explains. They help regulate the nervous system, improve mood, and allow kids to return to school more focused and refreshed.

Dr. Marc Siegel loves the idea of traditional snow days for both mental and physical health. "For kids to play out in the snow, build a snowman with a carrot nose, to commingle and socialize, and to have harmless snowball fights," he says.

The benefits go beyond just having fun outside. Dr. Kathryn Jones, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Richmond, Virginia, points out that kids today are overprogrammed and overscheduled.

"Children and teens are so highly programmed with extracurriculars, and even when they have free time, often seek relaxation and restoration online," Jones explains. "With so much external and internal pressure to grow up faster, we end up with kids who become adults who have forgotten how to play."

The contrast with remote learning matters too. Alpert notes we already ran the experiment of replacing real life with Zoom school during the pandemic, and the results were clear.

"Zoom school doesn't function as true learning or true rest," he says. "It keeps kids mentally 'on' without giving them structure or recovery, which is exactly where stress and burnout build."

Why This Inspires

There's something revolutionary about medical professionals prescribing unstructured play and fresh air in our hyperconnected age. These doctors are reminding us that kids don't need more productivity or more screen time.

They need what generations before them got naturally: sledding, snowball fights, building forts, and coming inside for hot chocolate with cold cheeks and wet mittens. They need to experience textures and temperatures with all their senses activated and engaged.

Jones puts it perfectly: "For the lessons learned about nature, the world around us and our own internal landscapes, the snow day is worthwhile."

In a world that constantly pushes children to grow up faster and stay productive longer, sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is give them permission to just be kids.