Winter Break Activities: fun ideas for kids

In many school districts, Winter Break is almost here! While the kids are excited for some time off school, parents might be wondering how to keep them entertained without resorting to endless hours of screen time. Fear not! Whether your break is a long Presidents’ Day week, weekend or a good old-fashioned snow day, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a mix of indoor and outdoor activities to keep the whole family happy and engaged.

Embrace the Great Outdoors (If the Weather Cooperates)

Snow Day Yay! – If you’re lucky enough to have snow, make the most of it! Besides building a snowman, or snow fort, having a snowball fight, and sledding, try something new. Rent some snowshoes. Many sporting goods stores will gladly rent them for the day. Hunting, fishing, and ski shops may also have snowshoes for rent or purchase.

• Winter Foraging – Create a list of winter-themed items for your kids to find outside (e.g., a pinecone, a frozen leaf, animal tracks). This encourages exploration and observation skills. Discuss each item as they find it. Why do pinecones fall? What tree did that leaf come from? Who made that track?
• Yard Olympics – Set up some fun winter-themed “Olympic” games in your backyard, like a snowball throwing contest, a sled race, or a snow angel competition. Freeze Tag, anyone? (pardon the pun)

Cozy Indoor Fun

• Creative Corner – Unleash your kids’ creativity with arts and crafts projects. Try making homemade snowflakes, painting winter scenes, or creating personalized wall or door hangings. A well-stocked craft box can be a lifesaver! Maybe a family members birthday is coming up. Have the kids make a gift and/or card. Or get ready for the spring by making springtime decorations.
• Board Game Mish Mosh – Instead of just getting the board games out, get a two or three and try to make a brand new game out of them. Make the rules as silly as possible!
• Movie Theme Day/Night – Pop some popcorn, snuggle up under blankets, and have a movie marathon. Choose a theme (like “summer camp movies” or “summer vacation time movies” to warm things up a bit. Dress like the theme. Make a party out of it!
• Garbage Cookie Fun – Get the kids involved in the kitchen! Instead of just baking cookies have the kids bake Garbage Cookies. Find things from around the house, leftover Christmas candy for instance. Or, all of that leftover cake decorating goodies you don’t know what to do with. Make it fun and don’t worry about whether it tastes good. If the candy and decorations have been there since last year it’ll probably be there until summer. Put it to use. Who knows? You may come up with an award-winning cookie!
• Fort Building Free For All – Use blankets, pillows, and furniture to create an epic fort. String up some lights and have a picnic inside. This is a classic activity that never gets old. Get in the fort with the kids. You won’t believe how many great memories will come flooding back.
• Story Time Adventure Scenes – Visit your local library or bookstore or dig out the old classics. Spend some time reading together and let their imaginations soar. Read a few pages and have the kids act the scenes out. Imagine the giggles!
• Indoor Obstacle Course – Use household items to create a fun and challenging obstacle course. This is a great way to burn off some energy and get some exercise indoors. Burn those cookie calories too!

Beyond the Home

• Area Events – Check your local community calendar for winter break activities. Many museums, libraries, and community centers offer special programs for kids during school breaks. Most of these are free or very low cost. Crafting, magicians, story time. All fun!
• Day Trips – If you’re up for a short drive, consider a day trip to a nearby attraction, like a zoo, a science museum, or a historical site. More and more zoos are staying open year-round. Some of the warm-weather animals may not be outside at this time of year, though. Can you blame them?
• Visit Family and Friends – Winter break is a great time to reconnect with loved ones. Plan a visit to grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins. Take the kids to see what their relatives do for work like Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa for some examples. It’s always fun to let kids see what others do while they are at school and it allows for new and unique experiences for them.

Tips for a Successful Winter Break

• Balance Structured Activities and Free Time: Kids need a mix of structured activities and unstructured free time to play and explore on their own. You don’t want them to feel like they are in school. It is a “break” after all!
• Don’t Over Schedule: While it’s good to have some activities planned, don’t over schedule your kids. They also need time to relax and unwind.
• Embrace the Downtime: Winter break is a time to slow down and enjoy some quality time with your family. Don’t feel pressured to be constantly on the go.
• Most Importantly: Have Fun! Winter break is a time to make memories and enjoy each other’s company. Relax, let go of the stress, and have some fun!
• Don’t Worry: About the mess, that is! Some winter break activities are pretty messy. Unless they are throwing paint around or cutting up the curtains, let them be kids. The mess can be cleaned up later!

By using a few of these ideas, you can make this winter break and make a ton of lasting memories. Enjoy each other’s company. Relax, let go of the stress, and have some fun! Be sure to check out my previous post Fun Indoor Activities for Kids (beat summer boredom and rainy days) It’s geared toward summer, but you may find some great ideas for winter break as well.

❄️ Enjoy the rest of your winter! ❄️

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