Do you struggle to entertain the kids during the winter months? Fear not – we’ve got you covered! Read on to discover our 50 Winter Activities for Kids You’ll Thank us For – a mix of indoor and outdoor activities to cure any bout of cabin fever!
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime http://www.mykidstime.com/50-winter-activities-for-kids/ 1/9 mykidstime.com http://www.mykidstime.com/50-winter-activities-for-kids/ By FIONA + 50 Winter Activities for Kids You’ll Thank Us For! Do you struggle to entertain the kids during the winter months? It can be difficult to think of activities for kids when it’s cold and raining outdoors. Fear not – we’ve got you covered! Read on to discover our 50 Winter Activities for Kids You’ll Thank us For – a mix of indoor and outdoor activities to cure any bout of cabin fever! 1. Build a fort Using simply a sheet and some rope running under middle of sheet and tied to opposite sides of your living room and ta da! You have a very simple but perfectly functional fort! Now time to camp out or play soldiers! 2. Feed the Birds Forget about angry birds and go outside and feed the hungry feathered real variety! You could also build your own bird house using lollipop sticks and paint it before hanging it from a tree. Or why not make your own bird feeder. 3. Tidy up Outdoors Go outside and sweep up some leaves. You might even get a chance to jump in them (long as you tidy them up again!) 4. Go on a Winter Scavenger Hunt Print out pictures of all the things you want your children to find outdoors and hand them each a few. Then send them off on their hunt to discover various winter gems like berries, dead leaves, melting ice, etc.Check out our free nature scavenger hunt list.
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10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
50 Winter Activities for Kids You’ll Thank Us For!
Do you struggle to entertain the kids during the winter months? It can be difficult to think of activities for kidswhen it’s cold and raining outdoors. Fear not – we’ve got you covered! Read on to discover our 50 WinterActivities for Kids You’ll Thank us For – a mix of indoor and outdoor activities to cure any bout of cabinfever!
1. Build a fort
Using simply a sheet and some rope running under middle of sheet and tied to opposite sides of your livingroom and ta da! You have a very simple but perfectly functional fort! Now time to camp out or play soldiers!
2. Feed the Birds
Forget about angry birds and go outside and feed the hungry feathered real variety! You could also buildyour own bird house using lollipop sticks and paint it before hanging it from a tree. Or why not make yourown bird feeder.
3. Tidy up Outdoors
Go outside and sweep up some leaves. You might even get achance to jump in them (long as you tidy them up again!)
4. Go on a Winter Scavenger Hunt
Print out pictures of all the things you want your children to findoutdoors and hand them each a few. Then send them off ontheir hunt to discover various winter gems like berries, deadleaves, melting ice, etc.Check out our free nature scavengerhunt list.
Yes it may be cold outside but isn’t that what winter coats, hats and gloves are for? Head to the park with apacked lunch and be sure to include a flask of hot chocolate or some soup.
6. Go Camping….indoors!
Pitch up your tent in the living room or if you don’t have one make your own using bed sheets. Turn off thelights and switch on a torch. Tell some ghost stories…if you dare!
7. Make your own Winter Wind Chime
It’s easy to make your own wind chime – we love this Snowman version from handsonaswegrow.com, whichis made using tin cans
8. Play Mitten Mix Up
Ask all the kids to throw their mittens or gloves in a pile on thefloor. Play some music and let the kids dance about. When themusic stops, they have to grab their pair of mittens. Whoevermanages to grab their matching pair wins.
9. Go on a Winter Hike
Wrap up warm and go on a winter hike to the park or woods. Tryspot some animal tracks on your walk. Collect items you findand glue them to cardboard to make a beautiful nature collage. Or, take some lovely winter photos for yourcollage. Check out our Scavenger Hunt list for a walk.
10. Get your Skates On!
Don a pair of skates at your nearest indoor skating rink and strut your stuff on the ice. A great way to spendan afternoon with family and friends.
You might also like 60 Fun Outdoor Activites for the Entire Year
11. There’s Snow Fun Like Snowball Fun
If it snows, get suited and booted and head out for some freshair! Divide into teams and hold a snowball fight. Or pull out thesleigh from the shed, and head to your nearest hill for somesledding.
12. Make a Snow Globe
You’ll need:
A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
A plastic figurine
Waterproof glue
Water
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
1. Let your child pick out the figure, then glue it inside the lid and let the glue dry.
2. Fill the jar with water, a squirt of glycerin (it helps the glitter swirl), and the glitter.
3. Screw on the lid tightly, then flip!
13. Teach Them To Knit
It is easy to learn the basic knitting steps. Once they have those mastered, why not encourage them to knit ascarf for themselves or to give as a gift to someone at Christmas time?
14. Buried Treasure
If the weather is snowy fill a box or “treasure chest” full of treats and bury it in the snow. Make a treasuremap to give to your kids to help them find their way to the hidden treasure. Begin the hunt by handing theplayers their first clue. Here’s how to setup a kids treasure hunt.
15. Build A Snowman
It doesn’t have to be a winter wonderland outside to do this. You can make snowman inside too!
1. Assign teams of two – one is the builder, the other will become the snowman.
2. Give them each rolls of tissue paper, some circles cut out of black crepe paper for the “stones” in thebody and some sellotape to hold it all together.
3. The teams race against each other to build their snowman first.
16. Make Christmas Tree Bunting
This quick and quirky Christmas tree bunting is easy to makeand would add some festive cheer to your homes this season.
17. Hot Chocolate
Heat up some milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. Dunk afew squares of your favourite chocolate in it and somemarshmallows and stir until they are melted. Mmmmm…. enjoy!
18. Tag Time
Pop on your hats and gloves and run outside for a good oldfashioned game of tag. You won’t be long warming up as you chase each other around the garden. Here’s20 Great Childhood Games for more ideas.
19. Winter Treasure Hunt
Gather some of your children’s favourite toys and/or treats and hide them in the garden. If it has snowed youcould bury them under the snow. Then call out the kids and time them as they find their treasures!
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
Using large marshmallows, stack 3 on top of each other to form the snowman’s head and body. Use sesamesticks for his arms, stick M&Ms or mini chocolate chunks on his face for his eyes, and use jellies for his hat.
You might also like 100 Free Activities for Kids
21. Make an Advent/Christmas Countdown Calendar
It’s easy to make your own calendar, and the kids will enjoyit more if you have done it together.
1. Get an A4 sheet of cardboard, draw 25 squares on itand draw a picture or stick a sticker in each square.
2. Then get another sheet of cardboard and trace squaresover it so it mirrors the first sheet. You will need to cutout three sides of these squares so that they form doorson this sheet.
3. Then glue the sides of this sheet to the first sheet.
4. Once glued, number the outside of the doors from 1-25.
5. Starting on December 1st open door 1 and then a newdoor each following day on the countdown toChristmas.
22. Twig Tower
Gather twigs outside and once you have gathered a bundle, bring them inside to a table. Form twig towersby building the twigs one on top of the other, being careful to keep them balanced and stable. The one whobuilds the highest twig tower wins.
23. Hunt for Animal Tracks
Head out in the mud or snow and follow the first set of animal tracks to see where they lead to. Try to guesswhat animal it is as you follow the tracks. Here’s our pick of 5 great Nature books for kids.
24. Make Christmas Crafts
Brighten up your home with some home-made Christmas crafts made by the little hands in your family.
24. Little Christmas Tree Cakes
This Little Christmas Tree Cakes recipe is easy to follow for older kids to make themselves and a delight forlittle hands to decorate.
You might also like our 15 Easy Christmas Recipes
25. Blow Bubbles
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
If it’s really cold outside then it’s the perfect time to go outdoorsand blow bubbles.
All you need is bubble solution, a bubble wand, and really coldtemperatures. The bubbles will freeze as they form but it helps ifyou blow the bubbles close to a cold surface, so they don’tfreeze in the air and break upon landing. You can catch bubbleson mittens/gloves or on snow or ice. A frost pattern forms on thebubble surface, and looks very cool!
26. Go on a Bike Ride
Don your helmets and head off on a cycle to the park or even to the shops. Bring a picnic with you if you’regoing a long distance.
27. Make Homemade Soup
Winter time is sure to bring its fair share of colds, and for those days when you’re feeling a bit under theweather, it’s great to have a hearty home made soup on hand. Try this Chicken and Miso Noodle Soup, orthis warming Carrot, Apple & Ginger Soup.
28. Go Swimming
Burn off some energy by swimming a few laps at your localswimming pool.
29. Hold a Disco in your Livingroom
Blast out the tunes and dance with your little ones as you bustsome moves on your living room floor. Dance and laugh yourheart out!
30. Dance in the Rain
So we all know it doesn’t have to be winter time to have arainy day in Ireland but instead of moaning about the raindrops, run outside and dance under them. Sure theneighbours might think you’re mad but your kids will lap up the fun!
You might also like 50 Fun Rainy Day Activities for Kids
31. Muddy Puddles
Put on your welly boots and head outside. Have a splashingtime, jumping in all the muddy puddles the rain has left behind.Here’s 10 Fun Things to Do Outside in the Rain
32. Toilet Roll Snowmen
Toilet roll tubes can make great crafts. One my kids love tomake is snowmen.
1. Paint the cardboard tube white and using glue, stick balls of cotton wool all over it.
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
2. Paint black dots to form eyes, orange for a nose and brown or grey to resemble the stones for hismouth.
3. Cut up a straw to use as his arms.
33. Snow Dough
Here’s simple instructions to make winter play dough.
You Need:
2 cups of corn flour
1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of vegetable oil,
3-4 tablespoons of silver glitter.
How To:
1. Just mix the ingredients together with a spoon until combined.
2. Use fingers to rub the oil right into the flour until its completely integrated. It should feel smooth,slightly damp and will take a form if moulded.
3. Roll it into balls to make a snowman or use cookie cutters to make shapes.
34. Balloon Pingpong
Clear your kitchen table and stack some rolled up tea towelsin a line along the centre to form a net. Blow up someballoons and using the palms of your hands as the bats, playsome balloon pingpong.
35. Indoor Hopscotch
When it’s too cold or wet to play outside and you really don’twant to turn on the TV/tablet/computer game, try someindoor hopscotch. Grab a roll of masking tape and use it tocreate a hopscotch course. Let the course run the length ofyour hallway or into various rooms to make it even morechallenging.
36. Make some Winter Treats
Bake some delicious cookies for yourselves such as these festive cranberry and white chocolate cookies. Orwe have lots of more ideas here. The hardest part will be trying to save some for the day after!
37. Make Mulled Drinks
There is nothing more seasonal than mulled drinks. This non-alcoholic hot mulled apple cider is one thewhole family can enjoy, or adults might prefer this recipe for mulled wine.
38. Go Fishing…. in the Bathtub
Fill up the bath and throw some magnetic letters and numbers into the water. Attach a magnet to a longpiece of string and tie the other end to a wooden spoon. Ask your child to fish out a particular letter or
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
number or let them fish away to their heart’s content themselves.
39. Make Paper Snowflakes
Deck your halls with these easy handmade paper snowflakes.They looks great on windows, Christmas presents and on yourChristmas tree.
40. Snowball Races
Hours of fun will be had with these simple items: balls of cottonwool, straws and masking tape.
1. Tape a square to the floor.
2. Take a few balls of cotton wool and a straw.
3. Lying or kneeling a distance away from the masking tape square, you must blow the ball into thesquare using only the straw.
4. You could create a few squares along the floor so that a few people could compete at a time to gettheir “ball” in the square first or else time each person as they have a go and the fastest person wins.
You might also like 50 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids
41. Make Gingerbread Men
Ginger Bread men are easy to bake, fun to decorate and oh soyummy to eat. Here is a very easy Gingerbread Man Recipethat you will enjoy making with your kids!
42. Get Colouring!
Print off some winter themed colouring pictures for yourchildren to colour in. Then display the finished art work on yourfridge.
43. Go Star Spotting
Bundle up warm and head outside to see if you can spot the stars as the weather becomes colder and theskies are clearer and darkness falls earlier so you should get the ideal conditions on a clear night to seesome of the constellations. Here’s some tips on Fun Astronomy for Kids.
44. Create Your Own Winter Story
Pick a topic to write about, such as a snowy day, or a day in the life of a snowman. Let the parent guide thestory and start it off by introducing the topic in the first sentence. For example, the parent might say “When Iwoke up this morning, it was snowing outside. I rushed out after breakfast and…..” Now the next personmust finish that sentence and start the next one and then the next person until it comes back to the parentwhose job is to keep the story on track and perhaps jot it down as well to read out after.
Be prepared for giggles and a crazy plot but the kids will love sparking their imagination.
45. Watch a Winter Movie
10/17/2014 50 Winter Activities for Kids You'll Thank Us For! - MyKidsTime
Cuddle up on the couch and watch a classic winter movie. Mychildren love Frozen, Ice Age, Happy Feet and March of thePenguins but Home Alone is still my favourite! Here’s 5 of thebest Christmas family movies. To extend the fun why not getthe kids to make their own home cinema, making tickets,ushering, providing snacks etc.
46. Read a Good Book
Curl up with a good winter’s read. There are plenty of goodbooks to choose from at your local library or bring the kids tothe bookshop to choose from some of the books on special offer.
47. Look at old Photos
The thought of venturing outdoors on a bad winter’s day might make you shudder so stay indoors and rootout old photos and photobooks. Your children will love leafing through them especially if you have ones ofyourself when you were their age. Compare your baby photos to theirs and laugh at the fashion styles whenyou were young.
48. Game Time
A winter’s afternoon is the perfect time for some indoor games. Here’s 10 Best Family Board Games for theFamily, recommended by parents. Or you could teach the children a new card game – here’s 15 Fun CardGames for Kids.
49. Paint some Pine Cones
What you want to do is just paint the tips of the pine cones invarious colours. They will look pretty as a garland along yourfireplace, or placed in a vase, or tied together with string toadorn the walls.
50. Decorate old Jam Jars
Recycle old jam jars by decorating them and placing a candleor tea light inside. You can paint snow flakes on the outside orpaint a winter’s scene. The light from the candle inside will shimmer through the paint and transform thissimple jar.
Over to you – what Winter activities do you like to do with the kids? Let us know in the commentsbelow.
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Snow photo credit: QUOI Media via photopin ccAdvent calendar photo credit: LittleStuff.me via photopin ccBalloon photo credit: debtony via photopin ccGirls swimming photo credit: flattop341 via photopin cc
