Winter break can be both a magical and challenging time for families. The excitement of the holiday season is quickly followed by the long stretch of days between Christmas and the New Year, and parents are often left wondering how to keep their kids entertained, and ideally, off screens. The CDC reports that children between ages eight and ten spend an average of six hours a day looking at a screen, while those aged eleven to fourteen spend upwards of nine hours a day. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of engaging and creative activities you can do to keep kids away from screens and entertained all Winter Break.
Whether you have toddlers, tweens, or teens, these activities offer something for every age and interest, ensuring winter break is filled with joy, creativity, and fun memories. From indoor crafts to outdoor winter adventures, here are 9 activities to keep your kids busy.
Winter-Themed Arts and Crafts
Winter is the perfect time to bring out your inner artist. Whether it’s creating holiday decorations or simply embracing the snowy season, there are plenty of craft ideas to explore. Arts and crafts can not only keep kids entertained but can also help them develop fine motor skills and unleash their creativity.
Ideas for Arts and Crafts
- Snowflake Cutouts: Use white paper and scissors to create intricate (or simple) snowflakes. For added fun, experiment with colored paper or glitter.
- DIY Ornaments: Using plain plastic or wooden ornaments, or making your own, kids can decorate them with paint, glitter, fabric, and whatever else they would like for a personalized touch. These can make great keepsakes or gifts for family members.
- Winter Landscapes: Use cotton balls to create snowy scenes on paper. Add elements like trees, animals, and houses to create a winter wonderland.
- Handprint Snowmen: Dip your child’s hand in white paint and stamp it on paper to create a snowman. Add features like a scarf, hat, and buttons for a cute and memorable keepsake.
Baking Together
The winter months are synonymous with comfort food, and baking is a fun and productive way to spend time with kids. From simple sugar cookies to elaborate gingerbread houses, baking gives kids the chance to learn valuable skills while satisfying their sweet tooth.
Winter Baking Ideas
- Decorating Sugar Cookies: Make a batch of sugar cookies and let the kids have a blast decorating them with icing, sprinkles, and candies. You can even create a cookie decorating contest for added excitement.
- Hot Chocolate Mixes: Have kids help prepare homemade hot cocoa mixes with ingredients like cocoa powder, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Package them in mason jars if you’re planning on giving them away as gifts. If you’re feeling extra, DIY hot chocolate bombs are fun to make and fun to use.
- Gingerbread Houses: This holiday classic never gets old. Create gingerbread houses from scratch or using pre-made kits, and then let the kids decorate with icing, candy, and other fun edible embellishments.
- Cinnamon Rolls or Scones: Wake up to a delicious homemade breakfast by baking cinnamon rolls or scones together. The kitchen will smell amazing and kids can help pitch in by helping with mixing and rolling.
Visit Your Local Rec Center
Your local rec center or community center will usually have drop-in programs for kids and their families over the winter break. Skating, swimming, and craft programs are some of the typical activities offered, while some even have kid’s rooms or youth groups for older tweens and teens to socialize with peers. For older kids, see if there are pick-up games of basketball, soccer, or other sports to join.
Building an Indoor Fort
On cold winter days, building an indoor fort is a time-honored tradition that will never go out of style. Kids love the idea of transforming their living room into a cozy hideaway, and the activity can involve everything from fort-building to imaginative play.
Steps to Create the Ultimate Indoor Fort:
- Materials: Gather blankets, pillows, cushions, chairs, and any other materials you have on hand to create a fort with walls and a roof. Use a flashlight or fairy lights for extra ambiance.
- Themed Forts: Get creative with the theme of the fort. Is it a secret pirate lair, a cozy cabin, or a castle in the clouds? Let the kids decide and help them bring the vision to life.
- Cozy Comfort: Once the fort is built, make it extra inviting with warm blankets, stuffed animals, and a stack of books or board games.
Outdoor Winter Fun
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you and your kids should stay inside all day. Bundle up and take advantage of winter’s beauty by enjoying some outdoor fun. Even if you don’t live in a snowy climate, there are still lots of winter-themed activities to do in your yard or neighborhood.
Outdoor Winter Activities
- Winter Nature Walk: Even in the cold, a nature walk can be a peaceful way to spend time outside. Take a hike through the neighborhood or nearby park, observe winter wildlife, and enjoy the quiet beauty of the season.
- Build a Snowman or Snow Sculpture: If you’re lucky enough to have snow, encourage the kids to build a snowman or get creative with snow sculptures. Add scarves, hats, and buttons to make your creations unique.
- Sledding: Find a nearby hill, grab a sled, and race down together. This simple winter activity never fails to thrill, and it’s perfect for kids of all ages.
- Snowball Fights: Have a friendly snowball fight with the kids, ensuring everyone stays safe and has a blast. You can also create a ‘snowball target’ game by setting up a few empty cans or bottles to try and knock down with snowballs.
Winter-Themed Movie Marathon
While yes, this one might be breaking the ‘no-screens’ rule, sometimes nothing will keep kids occupied like the TV. Grab some popcorn, make some hot chocolate, and bundle up on the couch for an afternoon of wintery films. From Netflix originals to the old classics, a movie marathon is sure to make everyone feel festive.
Family Game Day
For an indoor activity that’s both fun and interactive, organize a day or evening of family games. Whether it’s a classic board game or something new that caught your eye, there’s something about friendly competition that brings people together.
Game Night Ideas
- Board Games: Dust off the classics like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Clue. You can also include card games like Go Fish, Uno, or Old Maid.
- Puzzles: Working on a puzzle together can be a great bonding experience. Put on some holiday tunes and pick a winter-themed puzzle to get everyone in a festive mood.
- Minute to Win It Challenges: Set up a series of ‘minute to win it’ challenges where players have just one minute to complete funny and tricky tasks (like stacking cups or trying to find all the pink socks in the house).
STEM Activities
Winter break is a great time to introduce kids to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities that are both fun and educational. These experiments and projects can spark their curiosity while keeping them engaged.
STEM Winter Projects
- Snow Volcanoes: Create a ‘snow volcano’ by combining baking soda, vinegar, and a bit of food coloring in a snow mound for a fizzy, colorful eruption.
- Frozen Bubbles: On very cold days, blow bubbles outside and watch them freeze before your eyes. This phenomenon happens when the temperature is well below freezing.
- Build a Simple Weather Station: Help kids build a thermometer or barometer to observe the temperature or air pressure around them, learning how weather works in the process.
Reading and Storytelling
Winter is the perfect time to get cozy with a good book. Reading together as a family, or having your kids read to you, is a great way to spend quality time indoors. Storytelling also encourages imagination and creativity.
Reading Ideas
- Winter-Themed Books: Holiday-themed, winter-themed, educational, whatever piques your and your kids’ interest!
- Create Your Own Story: Get the kids to create their own stories. You can make it a fun family activity by taking turns to add a sentence to the story, or use story dice to inspire creativity.
Winter break doesn’t have to be filled with endless hours of boredom or screen time. By incorporating a mix of hands-on activities, outdoor play, and imaginative projects, you can create lasting memories while keeping your kids happily occupied. The key is to embrace the season and make the most of the time spent together as a family.
Are you looking to enter the real estate market this winter? Give us a call today! One of the experienced agents at Zoocasa will be more than happy to help you through the exciting home-buying process!
The post 9 Activities in and Around the House to Keep Kids Busy Over Winter Break appeared first on Zoocasa Blog.