Winter activities for kids at home
31+ Winter Activities for Kids
Looking for winter activities for kids? Here’s our printable list with winter crafts, outdoor snow ideas, winter art projects & book list!
Updated December 2022
It’s winter here in the northern hemisphere which means it’s time for sledding, ice skating, building snowmen, hot chocolate, and, perhaps, more indoor activities than usual.
Here’s more than 31 ideas for winter activities for kids to keep busy all month long. This list includes both outdoor ideas and indoor ideas. It’s a mix of snow play, art activities, crafts, construction, and, of course, a winter book list for kids. These are great ways to keep occupied during the winter months!
For a printable version of the list, scroll down to the bottom of this post to get a handy PDF version!
Photo by Gina Vide5 Outdoor Snow Play Ideas
First up is outdoor play! These are probably going to be any kids’ favorite winter activities because they truly capture the special nature of this season. It’s a winter wonderland out there, so go enjoy it!
1) Make Swedish snowball lanterns
2) Send the kids on a winter scavenger hunt with colored ice sculptures
3) Build a snowman!
4) Host a backyard winter Olympics (on Rain or Shine Mama)
5) Go on a winter nature walk (on How Wee Learn)
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul5 Winter Art Activities
Now for some indoor activities. But just because you are warm inside doesn’t mean you can’t draw inspiration from the season. Here’s a bunch of fun art projects that your kids will enjoy:
6) Make glue resist snowman paintings
7) Paint winter scenes with this easy snow painting technique
8) Microwave puffy paint snowflakes and snowmen
9) Try a Jan Brett inspired winter art activity
10) Make a stained-glass bunting (with words & wishes for the new year)
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul7 Art Activities with Snow and Ice
Or combine the art & play outdoors.
Take art projects outside for some truly unique activities that you couldn’t make any other time of year!
11) Build colored ice sculptures
12) Paint snow with spray bottles (on The Resourceful Mama)
13) Make painted ice lanterns (on Willowday)
14) Experiment with ice, salt, and food coloring
15) Make glowing snow paint (on Growing a Jeweled Rose)
16) Try this snowy day tissue paper art (on Fireflies and Mudpies)
17) Create a nature ice wreath
Photo by Rachel Withers5 Winter Crafts for Kids
And here are 5 fun and unique winter art projects that are suitable for all skill levels.
18) Use bleeding tissue paper to make snowflake prints
19) Use contact paper and yarn to make sticky snowflakes
20) Paint with ice (on Easy Peasy and Fun)
21) Cut and paint coffee filter snowflakes
22) Sew paper plate snowflake yarn art (on I Heart Crafty Things)
Photo by Rachel Withers5 Indoor Winter Play Ideas
And for times when everyone prefers to stay warm here are some ideas for winter play indoors.
23) Try small world pretend play with fake snow (or real snow)
24) Build snowmen out of playdough and decorate with beads or buttons
25) Build and play with a lighted cardboard dollhouse
26) Try one of these winter-themed sensory play ideas!
27) Have a game night
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul5 Construction Ideas
Kids love to build things, and winter provides its own fair share of building materials right on the ground! You can build indoors or outdoors, and we’ve provided both options below:
28) Build with toothpicks and grapes, cranberries, marshmallows, or gumdrops
29) Make an igloo out of sugar cubes (on Dixie Crystals)
30) Build an indoor fort or igloo
31) Use these brick molds to build the perfect snow fort
32) Build the perfect snowman (from the Spruce)
Read Winter Books for Kids
33) Head to the library and check out some books about winter.
Need some suggestions? Ask your children’s librarian or try some of these:
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
- Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
- The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
- Red Sled by Lita Judge
- Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard, and Tim Hopgood
Would you like a printable version of 31 Winter Activities for Kids to hang on your fridge?
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We hope our winter activities provide your family with inspiration and ideas for embracing creativity with your family through the winter months.
How about you? What are your favorite winter activities for kids?
More Winter Activities for Kids
- 12 Winter Sensory Activities and Creative Play Ideas for Kids
- How to Make Swedish Snowball Lanterns
- 13 Winter Crafts for Kids
- How to Do a Winter Scavenger Hunt for Kids
- How to Paint Snow with This Winter Painting Idea
- DIY Snowflake Decorations: How to Make a Wintry Window
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35 Indoor Activities For Winter When You're Stuck Inside - Parent Picks!
It’s winter and we are all looking for indoor activities for kids to get the wiggles out! We have collected the best parent recommended winter indoor activity ideas for kids of all ages from toddlers to tweens.
Use these winter activities for kids at home or in the classroom.
35 Activities To Do Indoors When You Need to Stay Inside
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!
Related: Our favorite indoor games
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.
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 Indoor 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 PlayMat
The 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.
- Can’t go outside because of the cold? Try this digital escape room that you can do from your couch!
What are your favorite cold weather activities? What are your favorite indoor kids activities?
10 winter activities for kids with and without snow
What would you like to do outside in winter if there is no snow? No weather will prevent children from having fun and having fun! The main thing is to know what to do. Ksenia Buksha suggests recalling a dozen familiar and unusual winter activities.
1. Decorate trees and bushes in the yard
At plus three degrees bushes in yards, squares and parks look dull: no leaves, no flowers, not even snow. This can be helped. The Christmas trees are over, but the desire for beauty is eternal. We take colored paper, strings, small Christmas decorations - we decorate a familiar bush, take pictures against its background and post pictures on Instagram! If they decorated it not only with paper, after some time it would be good to remove it all and collect it so that there is no garbage left.
2. Feeding the birds
Birds have a hard time even in a snowless winter. You can feed pigeons with millet, ducks with oatmeal or pearl barley. Just not bread: it is harmful to birds. And if you want, try to make the right feeder (there are a lot of ideas, including those not made of wood).
3. Launch LED helicopters
It's still getting dark early, but it's getting late. On a walk in a snowless winter, you can play with the darkness.
Buy LED helicopters with slingshots for kids and launch colorful lights into the overcast sky of the era of global warming. It’s definitely impossible to freeze even in a very fierce wind: a gambling, joyful and festive activity, no worse than playing snowballs.
4. Break the ice in the puddles and make an ice mosaic
Suppose it got a little colder, there is no snow, but ice appeared on the puddles. It is very fun to break it by jumping from all over. Children love to test the strength of the ice in shallow and deep puddles. It is at a temperature of about zero that you can get "puddle" ice floes and lay out an ice mosaic from them. Well, yes, of course, the ice in the city is dirty, but this usually does not bother children, and then you can wash your hands.
5. Watch the weather and daylight hours
The most interesting thing is to start doing it in winter. After all, whatever one may say, it’s coming to spring. And even if the weather does not indulge us, then the daylight hours increase a little all the time and give reasons for joy.
It may be difficult to track the movements of the sun itself in the city, but we can tell for sure when the lanterns are turned on and off. And write down the results of observations. You can also note other indicators - air temperature, precipitation and wind. Many younger students and even older preschoolers love this.
6. Leave footprints in the snow
Oh, and here comes the snow! True, there is very little of it: a thin layer covered the asphalt and the ground in the squares. But even this amount is enough to draw footprints in the snow. Draw a Christmas tree and a sun from the footprints, alternating small and large footprints, make a battlement wall - in general, fantasize yourself.
7. Making small colored snowmen
Miracle: a little more snow (well, let's say). Of course, it is wet - at zero degrees, how else? We also take advantage of this whim of the weather and make tiny colored snowmen out of wet snow. The body is the size of three snowballs, eyes and a mouth made of berries or sticks.
Let's take a sprayer with us for a walk and prepare water strongly tinted with gouache (recipe: a teaspoon of gouache well mixed in a half-liter bottle). And now let's paint our snowmen and rejoice at how unusual they are! If you bring a little more snow, you can build a whole tower.
8. Throwing snow and playing snowballs
It all depends on how much snow we have and what kind it is. Everyone knows that you can really play snowballs only in moderately frosty weather. If the frost is strong, you can throw fluffy loose snow. If there is little snow, we collect it from different surfaces (preferably not from the ground) and throw armfuls at each other! Only with very young children it is better to be careful: they may cry out of habit. It is better to accustom them to snow gradually. As for strong, well-made snowballs, try not to hit anyone in the eye: you can leave a black eye and harm your health.
9. Snow romance
Romance needs quite a bit of snow.
It is enough to powder your hair with it a little or collect snow in your palm and breathe on it, watching how the crystals melt. You can watch snowflakes on a sleeve or mitten. And if there is a little more snow, make a “snow angel” (lie down in the snow and wave your arms so that a trace remains like from wings) or throw snow at each other like sand. In general, you can meditate on snow, and this is not only children's entertainment. A familiar mathematician admitted that his interest in the subject began with the contemplation of three snowflakes through which the only possible plane passed endlessly.
10. Rolling downhill
For children under three years old, it is most useful to go downhill not on a cheesecake or sled, but on their own buttocks, stomach or back. The ice track allows them to feel their body better, control traffic safely, and they won’t develop high speed like that. Needless to say, the hill for this should not be too steep and long, but also not too gentle.
Teach your child to immediately get up and go to the side so that no one runs over them.
Older children master ice-sleds and sleds, and it is very harmless for teenagers to learn to squat and ride on their feet. But the cheesecake is not quite what you need. On small hills, it rides slower than a sled, and on large and steep ones it loses control: the speed is often still less than on a sledge or on an ice rink, but at the same time it is almost impossible to turn to the side. If a child rides on a cheesecake with a parent, he has almost no contact with the surface of the mountain, which means he does not get the pleasure that “rolling and wallowing” gives him (tactile sensations, in smart words).
However, no matter what you ride, this entertainment still needs winter weather - at least a little, at least not for long. What we all wish for.
9 unusual winter activities with children
Are you going to take the children for a walk, but are they tired of everything? And they don’t want to go up the hill, and the sled is “this is for kids”, building a snowman is boring, but there is no one to play snowballs with? And how can you drive these homebodies out into the fresh air for at least half an hour, what other winter entertainment can they come up with? And is it possible at the same time to stay warm yourself, and not run around them, entertaining?
We have collected for you 9 winter fun things that come to parents' minds not in the first place.
We will diversify winter walks with new and interesting activities together with Tlum.Ru.
1. We paint everything we find.
Snow and ice are frozen water and can therefore be dyed. Therefore, we take paints and forward, to the street - to paint everything that comes to hand.
For starters, you can make colored decorations on a street tree. Pour water into a mold (for example, for a sandbox, or make the mold yourself by folding the foil), add paint, lower a loop of thread there and wait until it hardens. Decorate any tree on the street with the resulting ice figurines. Here passers-by will be surprised! By the way, according to the same principle, small snow queens can make street decorations - pendants or beads. Most importantly, do not bring them into the house: the beads will melt, the queens will burst into tears.
5 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR CHILD ON THE BEACH
You can also touch up the icicles. But only if you know where they will grow.
For example, add paints to the drain, and new dripping drops will paint the ice in different colors.
If you are too lazy to wait, but you want to create right now, then we start painting the snow. You can simply pour paint on a white cover and smear it with whatever you need, you can spray tinted water from a spray bottle, you can draw whole pictures with a pipette, or you can paint snowmen and other snow sculptures. Draw bright red lips and green buttons for the snowmen standing nearby, it will be fun!
2. What is interesting about footprints?
You still ask! You can think of a lot of entertainment. The most banal thing is to go to the forest and look for animal tracks there. But if there is no forest nearby, then animal tracks can be created by yourself. Show your child how to make cat or dog footprints in the snow, how to trace the path of a tractor with your feet. You can also cut out cardboard boxes with footprints of a yeti or a dinosaur, attach them to your shoes and walk the streets.
And again - passers-by will be surprised!
3. Sculpture, but not a snowman.
Of course, the usual snowmen are banal, boring and too round. Invite the child to blind something that he is really interested in. Lover of "Be-be-bears"? We sculpt a huge Chick. Dreaming of becoming a programmer? We sculpt a mega-computer. The main thing is a non-standard task, and interest will immediately appear.
But even ordinary snowmen can be made more fun. To do this, you just need to dress them up. Try experimenting. Instead of a carrot, we sculpt a cucumber in place of the nose, wrap it in an old red rag, and put a cardboard sombrero on the head.
6 NEW KINDS OF PLASTILINE
Use molds for modeling, fasten parts with sticks or toothpicks, glue them with water to better hold. Your creativity deserves to please the eyes of neighbors for a long time!
You can also hide snowmen. Well, sculpt them where no one expects.
On a bench, on a tree branch (a little snowman, of course), on a hill, on a balcony. Just make sure that no one scolds you later for such creativity in the wrong place!
4. Building a snow lantern.
Those who carefully read books about Moomins remember that in winter they decorated the streets with snow lanterns. In Scandinavian countries, this is a traditional Christmas decoration, but in our country no one knows about it, although it is easier to make it.
We make a lot of round snowballs, put them in a pyramid, and put a candle inside (or put an LED). And we admire the magical lighting in our yard.
REVIEW OF THE CARTOON ABOUT MOOMINS
Lanterns can also be made from ice. For example, like this: we put a smaller container in a large container with water, put a load there and fix the container with adhesive tape. The ice frozen between the walls of two molds is the basis of the future lantern. When it all hardens, we remove the molds and put a candle in the resulting "cup".
And a couple of tips. If you want your craft to be transparent, use boiled water. For beauty, you can add berries, leaves, cones, branches, and everything that your imagination and your child will have enough for.
5. New snow house.
The weather is snowy, great, so you can live outside. Build a snow house with the kids using compressed snow or ice. Everyone can build snow fortresses, but not everyone can build a real igloo!
If you have time, you can build your igloo for several days, making perfect even blocks, and if not, do as you can, the main thing is to have fun. The stores even sell special molds for building an igloo, you can get one.
Design and draw the coat of arms of your family on the finished house/fortress/mansion. Or hang a flag. So that everyone knows whose hands this magnificent sparkling structure is.
6. Snow artists.
Snow is an excellent canvas not only for paints, but also for snow "pencils" - sticks.
We all draw hearts and emoticons on car windows, don't deny it. After all, after the snow fell, everything around is a huge field for creativity.
You can draw with a stick in the snow, with your feet on a snowy field, and you can also draw with snow on walls and trees. Stick a snow caterpillar on the door of the house, add berry eyes to it. Or sculpt a dinosaur relief on the school wall. Or draw a face for a tree out of snowballs.
WE CREATE FROM PAPER: CHICKEN
And if there is a lot of snow, then you can turn from an artist into a road builder. We dig a labyrinth in deep snow (it is better to make a plan first), and then pour water over it to freeze it. And along this smooth tangled path we launch balls, cars and everything else that comes to mind. If you build a labyrinth with a slope, it is, of course, more interesting to play.
7. Shooting range on the street.
Let's arrange a competition for accuracy, even with ourselves, if no one wants to play.
To do this, you need nothing at all - a target and shells. What are they made of? Of course, from the snow! You can work hard and cut a round target out of cardboard, or you can mark it with the same snow on the wall of the house. Or trample a target on the ground, in the snow. And then - snowballs in your hands and go!
If you live in a country house or come to visit someone, you can improve the quality of shells. Put the molded snowballs (or cubes) in the freezer, then they will freeze better. The main thing to remember is that you can’t throw such snowballs at each other, it will hurt.
8. Searching-finding-taking pictures.
For those who prefer quiet walks to active recreation, we offer a game that requires a camera. On a piece of paper we write to the child a list of what he should find on a walk (if it’s bad with fantasy, there are ready-made lists on the Internet) and ask him to take a picture of it. It is better to start with a small number of items and they should all be really easy to find.
For example, a snowman and a garland, a star and a Christmas tree. It can be a real item, or its image on a shop window or on an advertising poster.
CHRISTMAS CRAFTS WITH CHILDREN
You can also look for snowflakes. We take black cardboard (paper, something else black and flat). We take macro shots and look at the amazing variety of the world of snowflakes.
9. Looking for a snow treasure.
The next option to keep warm is to run around in search of a real treasure. Think there are no snow pirates? It is even more convenient to dig into the snow than into the sand! Draw a map for the children and let them complete the task before lunch. A found and opened bag of sweets will be a great gift for no reason.
We only advise you to tightly wrap your treasure in a waterproof bag so that you don’t get soaked paper from chocolate candy wrappers at the exit. If you don’t have artistic abilities, you can do without a map, give them clues or a riddle, just shout “hot-cold” to the edge.
