The winter season brings a lot of things along with it - the holidays, chilly evenings, sometimes even snow! But whether you enjoy winter or not, it can be tough to find fun things to do with kids when outside isn’t always an option. But don’t worry - there are plenty of ways to spend time together even when it’s cold outside. Check out 9 fun activities to do with your kids in the winter!
1. Build a tent or fort in your living room
This one’s a classic - turn your living room into an adventure with a few blankets and chairs, and then get on your child’s level and ask them what they’re imagining it to be. Maybe even leave it up for a few days!
2. Create an indoor scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are always a good time - and believe it or not, they’re just as fun indoors! Take some time to hide clues around your home, and take advantage of familiar spots and clues that your kids will find funny or exciting. End the hunt with a fun gift or treat!
3. Make cards to send to family and friends
Get creative and break out the glitter (if you’re brave!). Use markers, construction paper, glue, stickers, anything you can find in your junk drawer to create cards, and then make a big deal out of mailing them to loved ones who you haven’t seen in a while! It will be even more fun for your kids when they get letters sent back to them.
4. Build a LEGO set as a family
This one is pretty self explanatory - pick out a LEGO set as a family (it can be big and extravagant or small and simple) and plan a night to build it together. Have fun admiring your creation when it’s finished - those things take some serious effort!
5. Have a themed day
Put on your thinking cap and come up with a fun theme to follow all day - whether it’s Backwards Day (wear all your clothes backwards, eat dinner for breakfast!), Pirate Day (dress like a pirate, talk like a pirate, watch pirate TV shows), or you come up with your own, really commit to the theme!
6. Make and hide a time capsule
Time capsules can be fun projects to create and a great opportunity to teach your kids about how time changes things. Spend a few hours picking out what you want to put in the time capsule and then decide where you want to hide it - then let them choose how long you’ll wait before finding it again and seeing how much has changed. Whether it’s one week or one year (or ten years!), it will be a fun and exciting thing to do when the time comes.
7. Paper airplane competition
What’s more fun than making paper airplanes and seeing whose can fly the furthest? Or whose can’t fly at all? You make the rules - let the competition begin!
8. Follow Youtube yoga & fitness videos together
Kids love moving and grooving - make it a fun part of your routine by following a video as you do yoga or a fun workout together! Also - there’s no need to follow boring routines - Pokémon and Minecraft Yoga exist!
9. Living room picnic for dinner
Make dinner extra fun by putting it together as a picnic and eating it on the floor of your living room! Lay out a blanket, get finger foods like crackers, baby carrots, grapes, etc., and spend time picnic-ing together as a family in the warmth of your own home.