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Do you remember what snow days were like for you as a child? The thrill of hearing “No school!” and not being able to control your happiness?

While I realize that adults don’t necessarily get the same charge about snow days as children do, snow days are still great breaks from the workplace or the classroom. Who wouldn’t want a day off from being productive?

Snow days offer a great opportunity to catch up on rest and get simple tasks done around the house, apartment or studio. But what about tasks that are really worth completing—the ones that could really help you out in the long run?

Here are four tasks that you can complete on a snow day that are both enjoyable and useful.

1. Read a book.

Snow days offer a chance for people to get away from the hustle-bustle of society, especially those who work in major metropolitan areas. There is nothing more relaxing than laying down (in a Snuggie?) with a great book. Without a time limit, a person could realistically finish a book in a day.

Consider the kinds of books out there and simply pick one. I would recommend picking a non-fiction book in your niche/interest area, but read what you want to read. While some may consider books “a waste of time”, realize that some of the most successful individuals in our society were avid readers themselves.

2. Update and maximize your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is often overlooked in the social networking space, but it is one of the most applicable and worthwhile social networks to join. Take some time to fill out your LinkedIn profile to the best of your ability and brainstorm different ways of presenting your personal brand and strengths.

With the current state of the economy in mind, a complete LinkedIn profile is your ultimate work-related backbone—a safe-haven, if you will. In the event your job ever goes up in the air, you’ll be thankful that you took time to fill out your profile and make necessary connections beforehand.

Obviously, if you don’t have a job, this is something that you should do immediately. And if you’re a college student, get on LinkedIn already!

3. Cook something new.

If you are a cook yourself, do a quick Google search and find a new recipe to cook or bake up. If you’re not a cook…well, try cooking anything you want to try, but try something.

There are two big benefits to taking extra time to cook on a snow day. First, it will allow you to try a new food without a time limitation for preparation. In addition, you’ll have the confidence to create a new meal or baked good on the fly during the workweek.

If you’re fairly new to cooking, it never hurts to give it a try. You may try a food that you become fond of. And if you end up burning food or failing miserably, you can always resort to hot chocolate or another comfort drink.

4. Set up an RSS Reader or social bookmarking.

With so much interesting content out there on the Internet today, take some time to establish an account with Google Reader, Digg, Stumbleupon or Delicious, if you already aren’t on the websites. It’s awfully easy to find quality content on the Internet today, but it’s also pretty easy to lose track of important, helpful or thought-provoking links.

Once you set an account up with one (or more) of these websites, you’ll find that tracking your links and your interesting discovered content could not be any easier.

What kinds of activities or tasks do you do on snow days? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

(Photo Credit: Brave Heart)