Wintertime can be tricky for keeping kids busy, especially when it gets too cold outside to play. I’ve compiled a list of activities you can do with your kids this winter. You can still do a lot of outdoor activities during the day in the early winter, but when it gets too cold, move the activities inside where they can stay nice and warm. I’ve included a mix of indoor and outdoor winter activities here to help you get a head start!
18 Fun Winter Activities to Do With Your Kids
Here are some fun indoor and outdoor winter activities to do with your kids.
1. Make a Gingerbread House
What is more fun for a kid than building with delicious food? Your little one will think you’re the best mom EVER if you help him build a small house made of graham crackers, icing, and candy. It is also an excellent activity for motor skills, dexterity, and creativity!
2. Camp in the Backyard
Toward the end of fall and the beginning of winter is the best time to go on a “camping trip” with your kids. You can purchase a cheap tent and put it up in the backyard that afternoon, and then when evening rolls around, you could have a campfire with a fire pit or drink some hot cocoa while snuggling in blankets and looking at the stars. When it’s time for bed, everyone can snuggle up in the tent with blankets and pillows, tell stories, and make shadow puppets with flashlights!
3. Make S’Mores
Speaking of camping, one of the most fun activities you can do while sleeping under the stars is making s’mores! But you don’t have to go camping to do this winter activity with your kids. This could be a fun after-dinner treat if you have a fire pit. The kids will love making their gooey dessert!
4. Nature Collage
When my kids are outside, they love collecting every pretty leaf or prickly pinecone they can find. Sometimes, I will have them pretend they’re on a treasure hunt and see who can find the most acorns or pinecones. One thing my kids love to do is collect different shapes and colors of leaves. We will then bring home our best specimens and make fall art collages by gluing the leaves to construction paper. It’s an easy and fun winter activity, and they love it!
5. Make a Bird Feeder
In winter, birds rely more heavily on bird feeders as food is scarce. A great way to encourage the birds to keep coming to your yard is to make bird feeders and hang them outside. The kids love getting their hands messy doing this, and they especially love it when they see birds eating from their handmade feeders!
6. Go Ice Skating
One of America’s favorite pastimes in the winter is ice skating. Even if you live in the warmer part of the states, you can find a mall or galleria with a good-sized skating rink. Round up your kids for an afternoon on the ice where they’ll get some energy out and perhaps learn a new skill!
7. Bake and Decorate Cookies
Kids love to help bake cookies! Bust out grandma’s old sugar cookie recipe and put those kids to work in the kitchen. When the cookies are done baking and cooling, have the kids frost them with colorful icing and sprinkles galore. Save the treats for after dinner, or pack some in a tin and gift them to neighbors. The kids will be so proud to share their creations with friends!
8. Take Photos at the Tree Farm
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take some cute photos of your kids on the local tree farm! This is a great winter activity to let your kiddo run around and get some wiggles out in the fresh air. If you’re really on your game, arrange to have a friend come with you so you can take some family pictures and maybe get one good enough for your Christmas cards!
9. Make Cinnamon Playdough
Kids of all ages love to create with playdough! A great way to add some sensory fun to this winter activity is by making playdough and making it smell like the holidays! Try this fun and easy recipe for Cinnamon Playdough:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 drops cinnamon essential oil (optional)
To make:
- Mix all ingredients into a large bowl and slowly stir in 1 1/4 cups boiling water.
- Mix well, then set aside for 10-15 minutes to cool.
- Roll into balls and hand out to the kids!
Don’t forget to store your playdough in an airtight container!
10. Go to the Fair
Fall and winter are the best times to check out local fairs! The weather is usually beautiful during the day to wander around vendor booths, taste local foods, and pick up a cotton candy or hot pretzel! Make a day of it by packing a blanket and having a picnic in a local park!
11. Make Soup Together
Want a healing and nourishing meal while providing learning opportunities for your little one? Making a pot of soup is a fun way to create a simple meal and have your kiddos help. My 2.5-year-old daughter, Addy, likes to put on her purple apron and stand on a chair next to the counter with me to help when I cook. Set the vegetables you plan to use in your soup on the counter and talk to your child about what kind of vegetables they are and how many there are.
This indoor winter activity is also an excellent opportunity for teaching basic counting. Your little one can get their hands wet in the sink and help rinse the vegetables. Addy is good at taking the stickers off peppers and handing them to me. Young children should not take part in cutting food and boiling water for safety reasons. But helping add spices, putting chopped veggies into an empty pot, or organizing ingredients can all be done easily and to your child’s delight!
12. Play “I Spy”
Just feel like lounging on the couch or in bed? No problem! Relaxing is good, and winter weather encourages us to take a break and rest our bodies and minds. A fun game to play while in a resting position is “I Spy.” This can be played with children of almost any age. For example, get comfy under a blanket and say to your child, “I spy with my little eye . . . something red on the TV wall.” When your little one guesses the correct answer, it’s their turn to choose an object and give you a clue. If you want to up the competition or reward the winner, play until someone gets stumped. The other person is the winner. Reward the winner (or all players!) with a sweet treat such as cookies and a cup of hot chocolate.
13. Have a Dance Party in Your Pajamas
Researchers say that 20 minutes of exercise daily can be life-changing and vastly improve your health.1 Even if you can’t get outside due to blizzard-like conditions, ice, or biting cold—you can still move your body and get your blood flowing inside the house. My family and I like to turn on the television and watch YouTube. We take turns picking out songs and music videos on YouTube (ranging from Baby Shark to Beyonce to Coldplay!) and dance together. It’s a silly, fun way to get loose, break a sweat, and get some cardio exercise in. You can even set a timer on your phone to ensure you get the full 20 minutes in. This is a really fun indoor winter activity to beat the winter blues!
14. Make a Floral Arrangement
Flowers have a powerful way of brightening up even the gloomiest of days. If you can buy some cut flowers at your local grocery store, that is ideal. But this activity can be done even without fresh flowers. Look out your window and see if you have any evergreen trees or bushes, grasses, wintry branches, fall leaves, or other natural elements that might make for a pretty arrangement. Fill mason jars, vases, or drinking cups with water from the sink.
Lay the natural pieces out on some newspaper or a towel. Work with your little one to cut and place different pieces into the vases. When you’re finished, walk around the house and choose the best place for your new arrangements. Maybe a front hall table or a nightstand? If you have a toddler, you may want to choose a higher spot, such as a fireplace mantle or tall bookshelf. If you have extra floral arrangements, consider giving one to a next-door neighbor and brightening their day!
15. Write a Letter to a Friend
Putting pen to paper is a great way to engage in a creative project on a snow day. Ask your child to think of a friend (or family member) you want to send a letter or drawing. With my 1-year-old, we did finger painting on colored construction paper. My 2.5-year-old drew with crayons and markers. Depending on your child’s developmental stage, they can draw, write their name, or write a simple note consisting of a couple of words on a piece of paper.
If they are old enough to write sentences, they can describe what they have been doing during the snow day or the past few days. Feel free to get creative with your materials, using bright-colored paper or gluing pieces of tissue paper, feathers, or ribbon to the letter. Once it’s dried and complete, fold the letter and place it in an envelope. Have your kiddo help seal it shut, stamp it, and even write out the recipient’s address.
16. Light a Candle
Sometimes, when you’re stuck indoors, all that’s needed is a change in energy to get everyone’s moods on the upswing. Whether you want to increase the energy level in your home, relax after a long day, or cheer up the kids, light a candle, for example, with a vanilla or citrus fragrance. Vanilla aromatherapy has been shown to reduce stress and promote restful sleep, while citrus is a proven mood booster.2,3 I’m a fan of soy and beeswax candles, in general, because they are healthier to breathe. I also love to light, fruity, tropical scents if we want to imagine we are on a beach vacation somewhere far away from the cold and snow!
17. Practice a Mindfulness Activity
One of the easiest ways to beat the winter blues is to shift your mindset. Being snowed in can be an excellent opportunity to slow down and practice mindfulness with your kiddo, no matter how old they are. Try a few simple yoga poses for kids and practice bringing awareness to your breath. This is a simple mindfulness exercise that reduces stress and promotes well-being. Another mindfulness activity is sitting with your child and discussing what they observe with their five senses. For example, ask your little one, “What do you smell?” or “What textures do you feel with your hands?” Then let them answer and dialogue together about what they observed.
18. Call or FaceTime a Family Member
Nowadays, it’s easy to text our friends when we wish to communicate, but have you tried calling or using FaceTime or Zoom to connect recently? Sometimes, a slow day at home is the perfect time to pick up the phone and connect in a deeper, more meaningful way with a family member. We like to use snow days to call our parents so our kids can have an extended FaceTime/Zoom experience with their grandparents. It’s a great indoor winter activity because Grandma and Grandpa can get a window into the kids’ day, and it brightens their day as much as ours to see each other’s smiling faces and hear one another’s voices. Not only do you get to improve your mood, but you can help them beat the winter blues too. Win-win!
There are a lot of things you can do with your kids this winter to keep them entertained. I hope this list inspires you to keep those kiddos active and busy this winter!
