The weather outside might be cold and snowy, but there are plenty of fun winter activities you can enjoy with your kids. Whether it’s participating in old-fashioned fun like making snow angels or trying something innovative like making ice bubbles, there are lots of different ways to get out and enjoy the great outdoors with your family all winter long.
Make a Bird Feeder
Sure, if you’ve got the DIY chops, you can whip up a nice bird feeder in a couple of hours. But not everyone is handy with tools and woodworking! Don’t worry, it’s easy for everyone, including young kids, to make a bird feeder.
Option 1:
- Find and collect pine cones.
- Slather the exterior of the pine cone with peanut butter.
- Sprinkle with birdseed.
Option 2:
- Buy one medium to large orange.
- Slice off approximately one-third of the orange.
- Using a spoon, hollow out the interior, leaving the peel intact.
- Fill with birdseed.
Other fun ideas include using fishing line or dental floss to create an edible garland of dried cereal, dried fruit, and popcorn and then hanging it on a tree. Also works great as a natural Christmas decoration.
Snow Critters
Instead of sticking to boring old snowmen, why not let your imagination run wild? Try sculpting centipedes, snow monsters, kitties, bunnies, or anything else that you can dream up. Use twigs, berries, and other bits of nature for the accessories.
Another fun idea is to take handfuls of packed snow and use them to make funny faces on the side of a tree or building.
Coloured Snow
Kids will love spraying “graffiti” all over your yard with this fun idea. Take spray bottles and fill them with water. Use a drop or two of food colouring to give each one a different colour. Give the bottles to your kids, and watch as they go wild creating “masterpieces” using the white snow as a blank canvas.
Snow/Ice Cakes
Whether you call them “fairy” cakes or just “snow buffet”, a really fun idea is to take pans and moulds from your kitchen and let your kids use them to create fun things with snow/ice. For a more ambitious project, use the pans and moulds to create blocks for a super amazing snow fort.
Wintertime Scavenger Hunt
There’s no need to wait for Easter to enjoy a good scavenger hunt. Simply take some food colouring and use it to dye water. Freeze the coloured water into ice cubes, and then hide them around your yard. The kid who finds the most coloured “eggs” wins an extra cup of hot cocoa!
Make Ice Bubbles
If your kids love blowing bubbles during the summertime, they’ll love making ice bubbles. When the temperature drops below freezing (32F/0C) and you blow a bubble using a standard wand and soap solution, the bubble will freeze right on the wand!
Snowball Throwing Contest
Without snowball making turning into a free-for-all fight that can upset smaller kids, re-direct that energy to something far more fun and enjoyable for every member of the family. Using two different spray bottles with coloured water, create a large target in the snow similar to the kind used in curling or archery. Then take turns tossing snowballs as close as possible to the centre.
Set Up an Obstacle Course
Perfect for families with dogs, an obstacle course is a great way to get some much-needed exercise in the winter while also staying warm. Set up tunnels, jumps, rope swings, areas to climb, and poles to weave through using whatever’s handy.
Enjoy Some Snow Soccer
Using coloured water to mark off the “field,” kicking around a soccer ball in a backyard full of snow can be a ton of fun.
With a little creativity and some organization, it’s easy to get outdoors during the winter and have some fun with your kids. Getting outdoors and breathing in fresh air is a really healthy alternative to spending the long winter months cooped up inside and bored.
After you’ve had a fun-filled day, maybe check out these easy winter recipes for dinner!
Originally published Dec 26, 2017; updated Nov 10, 2023
