30 Winter Activities for Kids (2024)

  • Seasonal art for kids
30 Winter Activities for Kids (1)

by The Artful Parent Editorial Team

November 12, 2023

366 Shares

30 Winter Activities for Kids (2)

366 Shares

Looking for winter activities for kids? Here’s our printable list with winter crafts, outdoor snow ideas, winter art projects and more!

Updated December 2023

It’s winter here in the northern hemisphere which means it’s time for sledding, ice skating, building snowmen, hot chocolate, and, perhaps, moreindoor activitiesthan usual.

Here’s more than 30 ideas for winter activities for kids to keep you busy all month long. This list includes both outdoor ideas and indoor ideas. These are great ways to keep the whole family 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!

Winter Activities for Kids

30 Winter Activities for Kids (3)

5 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.

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)

30 Winter Activities for Kids (4)

5 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.

6. Paint winter scenes with this fun winter painting technique

7. Make glue resist snowman paintings

8. Microwave puffy paint snowflakes and snowmen

9. Use bleeding tissue paper to make snowflake prints

10. Make a stained-glass bunting using blues and whites.

30 Winter Activities for Kids (5)

5 Art Activities with Snow and Ice

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. Create a nature ice wreath

30 Winter Activities for Kids (6)

5 Snow Crafts for Kids

And here are 5 fun and unique winter projects that are suitable for all skill levels.

16. Make some snow ice cream!

17. Use contact paper and yarn to make sticky snowflakes

18. Paint with ice (on Easy Peasy and Fun)

19. Cut and paint coffee filter snowflakes

20. Sew paper plate snowflake yarn art (on I Heart Crafty Things)

30 Winter Activities for Kids (7)

5 Indoor Winter Play Ideas

And for times when everyone prefers to stay warm here are some ideas for winter play indoors.

21. Try small world pretend play with fake snow (or real snow)

22. Build snowmen out of playdough and decorate with beads or buttons

23. Head to the library and check out some books about winter.

24. Try one of these winter-themed sensory play ideas!

25. Have a game night

30 Winter Activities for Kids (8)

5 Building Ideas

Kids love to build things, and if it’s too cold to build a snow fort, try one of these indoor building ideas!

26. Build with toothpicks and grapes, cranberries, marshmallows, or gumdrops

27. Build and play with a lighted cardboard dollhouse

28. Make an igloo out of sugar cubes (on Dixie Crystals)

29. Build an indoor fort or igloo

30. Create a cardboard art forest for pretend play.

Would you like a printable version of 31 Winter Activities for Kids to hang on your fridge?

Enter your name and email in the pop-up and receive a PDF delivered straight to your inbox!

We hope our winter activities provide your family with inspiration and ideas for embracing creativity with your family through the winter months. 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

Want even more creative ideas?

Check out our Winter Fun Creativity pack!

Cozy up with some of our favorite wintertime activities for creative kids! This pack has 40 pages of winter-themed art activities that will keep your kids busy even on the snowiest day!

SHOP NOW

30 Winter Activities for Kids (9)

Pin It for Later

30 Winter Activities for Kids (10)

30 Winter Activities for Kids (11)

Related Posts

  • 12 Winter Sensory Bins for Kids

    Check out our favorite winter sensory bins for kids. Try snow & ice pop painting,…

  • How to Do a Winter Scavenger Hunt for Kids

    This winter scavenger hunt for kids uses colored ice sculptures. Freeze colored shapes and then…

  • How to Make Snowman Paintings with Glue

    How to make snowman paintings with glue, beads and watercolors. This winter art project is…

  • 13 Winter Crafts for Kids

    Try these fun winter crafts for kids with seasonal ideas for painting, playdough, snowflake garlands…

  • How To Make Snowflakes with Coffee Filters

    Learn how to use coffee filters for super easy paper snowflakes! Add watercolors for a…

  • How to Make Snowman Playdough

    This playdough snowman is easy to make and fun to play with. Add a snowglobe…

  • winter

30 Winter Activities for Kids (18)

The Artful Parent Editorial Team

The Artful Parent Editorial team (Rachel, Anna, Andrea, Heather) loves to gather great content and fun, fresh art activities and sensory play ideas for kids.

SEE AUTHOR'S POST

PrevPREVIOUS POST11 Salt Dough Decoration Ideas for Christmas

FREE EBOOK!

Subscribe to get your free copy of the 10 BEST Kids Art Ideas eBook!

30 Winter Activities for Kids (19)

MOST VIEWED POSTS

30 Winter Activities for Kids (21)

Parent Resources

How to Make a Vision Board That Works in 9 Simple Steps

30 Winter Activities for Kids (22)

Kids Arts and Crafts Activities

The Best Art Ideas for 2024

30 Winter Activities for Kids (23)

Painting for kids

How to Make Raised Salt Paintings

30 Winter Activities for Kids (24)

Creative Play for Kids

How to Make Homemade Bubbles

30 Winter Activities for Kids (25)

Printmaking for kids

6 Easy Paper Marbling Techniques

30 Winter Activities for Kids (26)

Watercolor techniques

How to Do Blow Painting with Straws

30 Winter Activities for Kids (27)

Parent Resources

The Best Art Supplies for 2023

30 Winter Activities for Kids (28)

Creative Family Living

The Benefits of Arts for Kids

30 Winter Activities for Kids (29)

15 Amazing Clay Projects for Kids

30 Winter Activities for Kids (30)

Sensory Play for Kids

How to Make Aquafaba

30 Winter Activities for Kids (39)

30 Winter Activities for Kids (2024)

FAQs

What winter activity are most popular? ›

The main international winter sport event is the Winter Olympic Games. In the United States, skiing and snowboarding are among the most popular winter sports.

What games do you play in winter? ›

Common individual sports include cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh, ski orienteering and snowmobiling.

How do you teach winter to kindergarten? ›

Activities such as winter bird watching, building bird feeders, making snowmen or going for a snowy day walk, all capitalize on student curiosity and children's desire to investigate the world around them, as well as prompt them to write, draw and create.

What is the best winter sport? ›

Top 10 Winter Sports in the World
  • #8. Bobsled. ...
  • #7. Nordic Combined. ...
  • #6. Slopestyle Snowboarding. ...
  • #5. Ski Jumping. ...
  • #4. Ice Hockey. ...
  • #3. Figure Skating. ...
  • #2. Alpine Skiing. ...
  • #1. Alpine Snowboarding. Introduced into the Winter Olympics calendar as recently as 1998, Alpine Snowboarding is practiced on special grounds.

Can you name some winter sports? ›

They are: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ski Mountaineering*, and Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).

How do kids play in the snow? ›

Play an aiming game with snowballs and a target (hopefully your kids won't force you to serve as the target). Use the shovels and buckets that you typically use at the beach in the snow. Build a snowman. Or a snowkid.

How can winter be fun season? ›

It's actually a great excuse to be lazy: you don't have to be super productive as you do in the summer when you swim in the lake, go grocery shopping, enjoy a barbecue and sit around a beach bonfire all between 6 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. In winter, you can just roll up in a blanket, grab some chips, and spend countless hours ...

What is the most fun toddler age? ›

Almost 40 percent of the 2,000 moms and dads polled thought they had the best time when their child hit age 5 — in part because they “started to communicate properly” and had developed “a good sense of humor.” On the flip side, however, is the age range the parents polled rated the most difficult: between 10 and 12.

How long should 2 year old play outside in the winter? ›

Watch for any signs of your child being too cold such as shivering and take quick breaks inside between intervals of around 40 minutes of play to keep body temperatures warm.

How long should a 2 year old play in the snow? ›

Toddlers and Preschool

If there is snow, make sure the hands and feet are kept dry. Playtime outside for toddlers in cold weather should be limited – preferably less than 30 minutes. Of course, if temperatures are extreme (below zero actual or wind chill), keep the children indoors to play.

What is winter for preschoolers? ›

Winter is the coldest season of the year. It falls between autumn and spring. Winter comes from an old Germanic word that means “time of water.” This refers to the rain and snow of winter. Winter begins on the winter solstice, the day of the year with the fewest hours of sunlight.

What do you teach kids about winter? ›

Learn About Winter
  • The days are shorter and the nights are longer than during any other season. ...
  • The sun doesn't shine as warmly on the earth during the winter, even on the brightest days.
  • Trees and plants usually go dormant (like they're sleeping) or else die so when you look outside, you'll see more brown than green.

Why do kids like winter? ›

Some possible reasons could include: Children are often more physically active and energetic, and they may enjoy the opportunity to play outside in the snow and participate in winter activities such as skiing, sledding, and building snowmen.

What is winter most known for? ›

winter, coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring; the name comes from an old Germanic word that means “time of water” and refers to the rain and snow of winter in middle and high latitudes.

What is the most watched winter sport? ›

A study published in December 2021 revealed that figure skating surpassed all other winter sports in terms of Olympic viewership.

What is a popular winter sport called? ›

They are: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ski Mountaineering*, and Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).

What do you like most in winter season? ›

The days are shorter and the nights get longer. The chilly mornings give you a different sense altogether. Hot drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are enjoyed more during winters. The sun rises quite late and sometimes it does not.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gregorio Kreiger

Last Updated:

Views: 5750

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gregorio Kreiger

Birthday: 1994-12-18

Address: 89212 Tracey Ramp, Sunside, MT 08453-0951

Phone: +9014805370218

Job: Customer Designer

Hobby: Mountain biking, Orienteering, Hiking, Sewing, Backpacking, Mushroom hunting, Backpacking

Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.