Indoor winter activities for families
35 Indoor Activities For While You're Stuck Inside - Parent Picks!
It’s winter and we are all looking for indoor activities.
We rarely get enough snow to even make a snowman, but it does get icy, cold, and damp. Leaving the cozy fire and snuggly socks behind to venture out is often not at the top of the priority list!
We have collected the best parent recommended indoor activity ideas for toddlers right up to tween years.
What are your favorite indoor kids activities?
I’m planning ahead and have gathered oodles of indoor activities inspiration, tried and giggle tested ideas from fellow parents, to keep my daughter and her friends happy and engaged indoors.
My Favorite Indoor Winter Activities
Let’s start with some of my wintery favorites. These are unique, clever and don’t take much set up. All these indoor activities are things that keep my kids busy for hours.
I am curious which will be your kids favorite ways to play inside…
1. Snowy Toy Car Ramp
Create a toy car ramp inside. And then as if that isn’t enough, you can add some inside snow to make the driving conditions a little more scenic. What a fun and frugal way to spark more pretend play indoors on cold winter days. via buggyandbuddy
2. Create with Air Dry Clay
This air dry clay craft project for kids of all ages turns out very cute no matter how skilled you are at snowman making. Try this classic winter fun for kids of any age. See the adorableness on Buzzmills
3. Painting Snow- Inside!
Yes! Let’s bring the snow that is outside…inside! And then make some colorful creations in a controlled mess kinda way. Fill a cooking tray with some snow and let them off. See then fun evolve on kitchenfloorcrafts
4. Make A Snow Globe
I love a good snow globe craft and this is simple and adorable.
Gather empty jars and invite your kids to make their very own snowglobes in less than 5 minutes from start to shake. See how to make on MollyMooCrafts
5. Master Finger Knitting With Your Kids
Kids love this because it is so hands on and interactive. And it is surprisingly easy to learn. Imagine sitting on the couch on a lazy winter Sunday. . . there’s nothing better! via flaxandtwine
6. DIY Crayon Resist Snowflakes
Grab some crayons and watercolor paints to artfully create some snowflakes. Each will be perfectly unique! Playful experiments with crayons and watercolor. So very pretty via Messy Little Monsters.
More Fun Indoor Activities for Kids
Here are some more winter activities for kids that you can do indoors just in case the snow is piling up or if you are like me and live in Texas, there may be some wintery rainy days that feel just a little miserable.
7. Make Skating Popsicle Stick Dolls
Grab your popsicle sticks and make these adorable dolls that actually skate.
I know that sounds crazy, but it is true and it makes a really fun craft for kids of all ages. I can see this is something older kids would really enjoy alongside the younger ones. An exciting new spin on this ever popular classic craft. See how to make on MollyMooCrafts
8. Set up a Snowman Making Station
This is absolutely the best preschool winter activity! Set up a simple activity tray with bits and pieces from around the house as a snowman making station. Then toddlers and preschoolers have everything they need already set up to craft. So clever, so cute via Happy Houligans
9. Indoor Snowball Fight
Who doesn’t love a snowball fight? The downside is the ice and snow and cold. This is all the fun without any of the cold. The very best indoor fun! This was the biggest hit in our house last winter. Every playdate was challenged via MollyMoo
10. DIY Tissue Paper Stained Glass Suncatchers
Grab that stack of colorful tissue paper you haven’t used for wrapping gifts and head to the kitchen table to brighten up your winter windows with colorful suncatchers.
Follow the steps with Artful Parent.
11. Indoor Obstacle Course
OK, I should have put this in the list above because this is literally my favorite winter activity for kids of any age. Why? Because kids need exercise…even indoors and this makes it fun and easy. Ready! Set! Go! with loveplayandlearn
These Activities Make Me Glad It’s Too Cold To Go Outside
12. Make a Puppet Theater
Watch your kids’ imaginations come alive with paper bag puppets and a some scrap fabric. You can make puppets from nearly anything and then set up your own home theater.
13. Make Indoor Hopscotch
We absolutely love how you can make Popsicle Stick Hopscotch along with 9 other great ideas for entertaining kids indoors with just a bag of craft sticks.
14. Create Magazine Collage Art
An absolutely gorgeous, simple, and accessible activity for any home and classroom.
See the magic unfold on mollymoocrafts
15. Make it Snow Inside
Make fake snow from styrofoam for kids to go crazy. Messy, I know, but the kids’ laughter will be worth every second of the cleanup. See the fun unfold on playtivities
16. Build Elsa’s Ice Palace
And all you need are some sugar cubes to play this FROZEN movie scene. See the joy on leftbraincraftbrain
Try These Fun and Simple Crafts
Kids and simple crafts just go together all year round, but when looking for the best indoor winter activities for kids, crafts can’t be beat! Here are a few of our favorites…
17. Make a Ninja
These Toilet Roll Ninjas are so much fun to make and play with afterward. No need to leave the house on those cold days – just grab a few toilet paper tubes and straws and watch the ninja fun begin.
18. Owl Craft for Kids
Make Toilet Roll Owls for some fun created from the recycle bin.
Some frugal crafty fun for winter afternoons and weekends. Everything you need to make will be found at home. See how easy they are to make on MollyMooCrafts
19. Make a Hedgehog Game
Create your very own Cardboard Hedgehog Ring Toss. Upcycle the Christmas gift boxes into this cuter than cute hedgehog ring toss game for hours of indoor play. See how to make on MollyMooCrafts
20. Minecraft Craft
Make this Toilet Roll Minecraft. After just a simple 3-minute construction, your kids will be happily crafting their toilet roll Minecraft creeper too. And everything you need is in the recycling bin! Perfect for indoor winter crafting.
21. Make homemade skis that work
Skiing at home with homemade skis? You don’t have to have snow outside your house or go to expensive ski resort to have a lot of fun skiing. It’s all about setting up the mood and imagination! Oh what fun! See how to make on Playtivities
Keep Warm With More Indoor Ideas for Winter
22.
DIY LEGO PlayMatThe most fun your kids can have with a roll of craft paper, crayons, and the kitchen floor. via MollyMooCrafts
23. Turn The Bathroom Into A Hair & Nail Salon
Place curlers, bows, makeup, and nail polish around the bathroom. Check out this and 9 other great ideas for indoor winter fun on thechirpingmoms
24. Hosting an Indoor Campout
Check out these 6 things for an amazing camping session with kcedventures. No bugs, I promise! <–this is my very favorite kind of camping of all the camping types!
25. Diamond Snow Dig
When it’s too cold to play outside, bring the snow inside! via happyhooligans
26. Learn French Knitting
This looks fun! by Buzzmills
27. DIY Wrecking Ball Block Play
It so simple, but brilliant! LEGO towers at the ready! Simply create your own homemade wrecking ball out of things you have at home. The trick is to choose something like a toilet paper roll and string it on a short string so it won’t actually damage anything when it hits.
28. Create a Winter Play Scene
Check out all the details on this simple winter toddler and winter preschool play idea with Winter Felt Play Activity.
More Indoor Winter Play with Kids Activities Blog
- Print out this free winter fun pages pack of worksheets and learning games.
- Winter Dot to Dot<–these printable activities are so much fun and will keep you warm inside.
- January may be the coldest month of the year for most wintery climates, but these January coloring pages will make you feel warm and fuzzy.
- Snowflake Window Clings – these come with a snowflake coloring page as well as a snowflake template.
- Check out these cute animal coloring pages that are filled with woodland animals we all love.
What are your favorite cold weather activities? Let us know in the comments!
40 Fun Winter Activities for Kids
Days With Grey / Play & Learn / 40 Fun Winter Activities for Kids
Author: Beth
Inside: 40+ fun winter activities for kids – These wintery ideas are broken down into four categories: outdoor snow play, winter art activities, Indoor winter play ideas, and a winter book list.
Need fun winter activities for your kids?
Me too! From outdoor snow play to indoor art ideas, here are 40 winter activities for kids.
As a parent to three small children, I often wonder how my parents put boots on wiggly feet and mittens on small hands. It can be an actual test of patience as my independent children take on these tasks.
So in between suiting up for snow play and heading inside for hot chocolate? We are all left wondering how I can entertain my kids in the winter when the days can feel so long!
How do I entertain my kids in the winter?
Here in the southeast, snow is highly unlikely. As a native northerner, I can say that although I enjoy the warmer weather, I also miss a snowy Christmas equally as much. Since I can’t have it all, I hope for one solid snow day each season.
– Is that asking for too much? Maybe.
In the meantime, we have a solid list of winter activities to test out and share with you!
Outdoor Snow Play
Hats on, scarf found.
Let’s head outside for some snow play ideas that will entertain children longer than it took to get the left foot inside the boot.
- Winter Activities for Kids in the Woods – The Workspace for Children
- Snow Frozen Yogurt Melts – Here Wee Learn
- Snow Spray Painting – Mama Papa Buba
- Colored Ice Sculptures – Happy Hooligans
- Easy Outdoor Ice Rink – Mama Papa Buba
- Snow Volcano – Messy Little Monster
- Snow and Ice Experiment – Here Wee Learn
- How to Make Snow Paint – Messy Little Monster
Winter Art Activities
I love a winter craft. Here are some favorite ideas to try with toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids from process art to product!
- Tissue Paper Mittens – Days with Grey
- Snowflake Garland – Art Bar Blog
- Tape Resist Art – Toddler Approved
- Watercolor Snowmen – Days with Grey
- Sparkle Snowflakes – Toddler Approved
- Cut and Glue the Snowman – Days with Grey
- GIANT art banners – Friends Art Lab
- Winter Solstice Lanterns – Here Wee Learn
Indoor Winter Play Ideas
For starters, I have already created an enjoyable list of indoor activities here.
But let’s take this one step further and pull out the great ideas that align with a winter theme.
- Ice Skating Bears – Days with Grey
- Winter Bear Rescue – Days with Grey
- Snow Pups Winter Sensory Play – Busy Toddler
- Squishy Snowman Bag – Mama Papa Buba
- Decorate the Mittens – Days with Grey
- Giant Snowman Buddy – Toddler Approved
- Design a Snowman House – Days with Grey
- Snow Paint – Busy Toddler
- Snow Trucks – Toddler Approved
- Feed the Snowman – Busy Toddler
- Snowman Name Hunt – Toddler Approved
A few more indoor ideas that don’t carry the winter theme, but are a great break from the snow!
- Indoor Mini Golf
- The Claw
- Magnetic Tiles Bowling
- Cloud Dough Construction Play
- Transportation Toy Sort
Winter Book List
Snow play is a blast, but we will also carve out some time for some fantastic books. Again, we are in the southeast.
If my children don’t experience the snow, we will read about it!
Days with Grey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
- Snowmen at Night
- Loud Winter’s Nap
- The Snowy Day
- Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter
- The Mitten
- Little Owl’s Snow
- Sneezy the Snowman
- How to Catch a Yeti
Which winter idea or book will you try first?
Winter entertainment for children and adults
The most magical time of the year is approaching - winter. The atmosphere of a favorite holiday penetrates into every home. Visit New Year's fairs, dust off boxes with skates and Christmas toys, buy a new outfit and cute decorative gizmos. But, in addition to pleasant troubles, every parent is interested in: what to do with a child in winter? It gets dark early, long holidays are already looming on the horizon, and the expectation of the holiday makes any kid restless.
We have prepared for you several ideas that will distract the child from waiting for the Christmas tree and gifts, and you can not only use them, but also come up with your own.
Learning is light
Encourage your child to learn a new profession or go deeper into the study of what he is really interested in. No boring school curriculum! Go to Technograd at VDNKh, take various master classes, choose an attractive profession. There are different formats and programs for different ages. Education is reaching a new level. Buy your child an online or offline course in the direction that the student likes. Maybe he dreams of painting portraits or baking eclairs, or maybe he's interested in ballroom dancing or building robots. Always give your child the opportunity to try himself in different directions. Perhaps what the little genius is drawn to is his vocation?
Winter snowy paradise
In recent years, winter has not spoiled Muscovites with snow.
If it is possible to get to more suitable places, drop everything and take the child to rest. Everyone needs at least a small reboot. Snow does not just set you up for a special atmosphere, you can use it to come up with a lot of entertainment. Blind a figurine (it is not at all necessary to make a boring snowman, sculpt your favorite cartoon character or yourself), decorate or paint with bright colors. Make more snowballs. They can throw themselves at each other or make a lantern. Buy a special outdoor lamp, fix it in the snow, and wrap snowballs around it with a pyramid. Build a real snow castle or compete for the best ice house. Draw something unusual in the snow with your own boots or write a message.
Movement is essential even in winter
Active movement is always important for a child. Don't forget to buy or make ice-boats and sleds. Skating rinks and slides are installed in Moscow even in warm, snowless weather. Ice skating, downhill slides will create a fun winter mood.
Home fun
You can have a good time at home with your family. The best way to establish contact or strengthen a bond with a child is through joint activities. Come up with the most beautiful Christmas decoration, watch New Year's films and cartoons, create gifts for loved ones. Even a handmade postcard will delight your loved ones. Print more photos, hang them on the wall or attach them to a glowing garland. Every time you pass by, you will remember the pleasant moments of the past year. Think over the program for the New Year holidays or the next weekend. Try a new recipe, call relatives you haven't seen for a long time, buy a cozy book. Be sure to visit IKEA or another home decor store. And, of course, stock up on cocoa with marshmello.
More fun together
In winter, you especially want comfort and warmth. Buy new board games that the whole family will love. Try something new and challenging, or opt for timeless classics. Spend family evenings talking and drinking tea.
Take your kids to a theater or museum. Take a tour of your favorite park or go to a new cafe. Invite your child to go shopping, update your wardrobe, or buy some cute jewelry. Decorate the house together for the New Year and Christmas. Create your own family advent calendar or buy one you like. Invent a new tradition, such as complimenting the rest of the family in the evenings or drinking different drinks from different mugs. Attend an interesting workshop and learn something new.
Quests are always appropriate
Have a good time with friends, have fun and compete - a quest for children will cope with such tasks. Most recently, Interactive Room has opened. Interactive walls, floors, air hockey in augmented reality are waiting for everyone. A whole half hour in an unusual entertainment room. A simple but exciting activity for any child is provided. Color-changing kinetic sand, a controlled game table, a wall with game mechanisms - everyone will find something to their liking.
Gather a friendly company and try all the rides.
Adventure awaits the brave team on the Red Dwarf Dungeon quest. You have to become a real Space Marine and try to escape from the terrible Dark Mage. The villain has already exterminated all the red gnomes, your squad is next in line. If evil is not stopped, disaster cannot be avoided.
The new online format will allow you to have fun without even leaving your home. Take a closer look at the quest Online. Time Machine . An hour will fly by unnoticed if you devote it to finding a brilliant professor. The scientist came up with a time machine, but something broke during the testing period. The inventor disappeared, but anomalies appeared in space-time matter. Help the laboratory assistant find the scientist and correct the errors in the machine.
You will like quests:
5 Unusual winter entertainment for children and the whole family
Plans for the weekend
while there is snow: 5 unusual winter entertainment for children and the whole family
Asya Zulnnikova
February 4, 2022 18 :09
Almost every winter weekend all over Moscow there are various outdoor festivities, performances and workshops.
Together with Kinder Delice, we are talking about five places that hide exciting adventures for the whole family.
Audio tours in Gorky Park
Children's audio tours "Tales of the Old Park" are held all year round in the park. Visitors from 6 years old and their parents will walk from the arch of the Central entrance, accompanied by the Scientist Cat, who will tell the history of the park and quote excerpts from the fairy tales of Alexander Pushkin, Hans Christian Andersen and Alexei Tolstoy. This option is well suited for those who get cold quickly, since the duration of the tour is only half an hour. It is best to decide on the date and register for participation a few weeks in advance.
Cost
Free
QR code or PCR
Requires
Details
on the site
Winter ATVs at VDNH
before the end of winter at the VDNH and the Stone Flower Fund and the Optics Pavilion rent of children's ATVs for children from 3 to 14 years old is open.
Teenagers over 14 can rent fat bikes, a type of bike with wide tires that are suitable for riding on snowy terrain. At the same time, risks are minimized: all participants in the race are instructed, children ride in the presence of instructors, and they are given protective helmets without fail.
Cost
ATV rental — from 250 rubles, fatbike — from 300 rubles.
QR code or PCR
not required
Details
on the website Or rent skis and go for a walk in the Ostankino park, where among the variety of ski slopes there are two children's ski routes.
Master classes from champions at the GUM skating rink
On February 6 and 9, Yury Ovchinnikov, champion of the USSR, medalist of the world championships and European champion in free skating, will give master classes in figure skating at the GUM skating rink. There are three conditions for participation: basic ability to skate, age over 6 years old and an application that must be left on the website.
It is promised that as a result of the meeting with Yuri, absolutely everyone will be able to perform jumps, runs and other basic elements of figure skating. If you do not have time to register, you can visit the ice rink on Red Square on your own - it is open until February 28.
Cost
Free
QR code or PCR
A
Details
on the site
What else to do: if there are free places, you can get to the master class in hockey from Alexei Yashin or learn performances on ice with Olympic champion Evgenia Medvedeva.
Excursions, sledges and even falcons in Kolomenskoye
The former fiefdom of the Russian tsars, the old manor Kolomenskoye is one of the best all-season parks. Apple orchards are spread around the Sovereign's Court, nearby are architectural monuments of pre-Petrine Rus' and the only krechatnaya in Moscow - it contains falcons. In addition to walks, a wide variety of outdoor activities are provided here, including a two-hour Russian Winter themed tour, which runs until February 28.
First, visitors will walk around the royal palace and learn about the peculiarities of life in it in the winter, and then make a snowman and ride along Kolomenskoye in a horse-drawn sleigh.
Excursion price
1160 rub. per person
QR code or PCR
required
Details
on the website street and Zelenaya Polyana. There are two routes for skiers - for 3 and 5 kilometers. In addition, from February to March, costumed farewells to winter are held in the park: thematic excursions “Boyar Maslenitsa” or “Empress Maslenitsa” are dedicated to them.
Fancy-dress Shrovetide in Tsaritsyno
From February 19 to March 13, the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve hosts an hour and a half program "Pancake Fun": actresses in the role of "villagers from the surrounding villages of Khokhlovka and Orekhovka" will arrange real folk festivals they will tell you about the ancient names and meanings of each day of Shrovetide week. The action will take place in two locations: in the Grand Palace and under the open sky.
