Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids

Snowy days and frigid temperatures can seem like a drag when you’re an adult, but for kids, they provide the perfect opportunity to get outside and have some fun. During this cold time of year, encourage your children to play outdoors. Here are some of our favorite outdoor winter activities for kids.

You can get the complete Winter Activities for Kids ebook here. The ebook is loaded with indoor and outdoor Winter activities for kids and families. Keep your mind and body active during the cold winter months with these super fun suggestions.

10 Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids

Here are 10 awesome winter activities for kids – great for snow days or anytime you need a fun way to entertain kids of all ages. Remember, be safe outdoors and wear a helmet for dangerous activities in the snow.

Build a Snowman

This is probably the most popular winter outdoor activity. As soon as there’s enough packable snow on the ground, your kid is probably going to start rolling balls to stack on each other and make a snowman.

This is a fun activity that the whole family can participate in, but if you want to make it a little more fun, there are some fun spins you can put on building a snowman.

You can have a snowman-building competition where everyone builds a snowman, and an objective third party (like Grandma or Grandpa) chooses a winner. There can be different categories such as silliest design or best built.

You can also try building a snowman community or making snow animals instead. Make a snow family including a tiny snow baby.

Even if you build a traditional snowman, your kids will enjoy being creative and making something out of snow.

Go Sledding

Another popular outdoor activity is sledding. Nothing puts a smile on a kids’ face like speeding down the hill and safely landing in a pile of snow at the bottom. If you don’t have a good place to sled in your backyard, there are other options available.

Depending on where you live, some places where you might be able to sled are: 

• State parks
• Ski resorts
• Nearby farms
• Friendly neighbor’s yard
• Local parks

Freezing Bubbles

When the temperature is below freezing, you can blow bubbles outside that will freeze. It sometimes takes quite a bit of experimenting to make this work, so be prepared that it may not work the first time. Add it to your list of sensory activities for Winter to encourage fine motor, visual motor, and oral motor skills.

Some tips from people who have perfected the art of it are: 

• Use a bottle to make the bubbles. Take a plastic water bottle and make a hole in the lid. Insert a straw and put clay or playdough around the straw to keep it from leaking air. You can also use a squeeze bottle with a straw for the same effect.
    
• Try adding corn syrup. Instead of just using soap and water, add corn syrup to make it thicker.
    
• Add sugar. Sugar helps with the crystallization effect.
    
• Try picking a low wind day. It’s best to choose a day that’s very cold but not windy so the bubbles don’t pop easily. 

Go Birdwatching 

You can take the kids outside in the winter to watch and listen for birds. 

Here are some tips for birding with kids in the winter: 

• Look for nests. It’s easy to spot nests in the trees because there are no leaves to hide them.
    
• Get a pair of binoculars. You don’t need binoculars to go bird watching, but they can make the experience more fun and it gives the kids the opportunity to see birds up close.
    
• Take a field guide with you. You can use a field guide to help kids identify the birds they see. Let them take the time to find the birds and match them to the characteristics that they see.
    
• Take paper and pencils. To make the kids feel more involved, they can draw pictures of the birds they see and label them as they learn what they are.
    
• Talk to your kids about which birds will be present in the winter. Some birds stay all year long while others are migratory. Tell your kids which birds to look for before you set out and let them know which ones may have migrated.
    
• Search for birds near open water. Birds will often come to water areas to get a drink, so you’ll have a chance of spotting many varieties of birds this way.
    
• Don’t forget snacks. Kids are always hungry or thirsty, and this activity requires some patience and waiting, so snacks are a good way to maintain peace while you’re out.
   
• Get a bird feeder at home. Having a bird feeder at home that you can see from inside the house is a good way to help kids practice identifying different birds.

Look for Signs of Animals on Cold Days

Another fun wildlife activity is searching for signs of animals. Your kids won’t be the only ones who walk through the fresh snow, and you can use this as an opportunity to see what the wild animals in your yard are up to. It will spark your children’s curiosity.

When you take your kids out, challenge them to find as many signs of wildlife as they can.

Here are some things to look for the next time you’re out: 

• Animal prints. One of the most tell-tale signs of animals is the prints they leave behind. It’s a lot of fun trying to identify which animal left the tracks. For instance, rabbits have a distinct track that looks quite strange if you don’t know what it is.
    
• Scat. It may sound gross, but animal droppings are another way to identify who has been through your yard. Scat can be quite distinct, so it’s fairly easy to figure out who has been active on your property.
    
• Feeding signs. Animals have to eat during the winter, and this can often be another clue about who has been traipsing around. For instance, deer often eat the tops of plants off, especially fresh buds.
   
• Destructive activity. This may sound funny, but one way to know if animals have been around is by the destruction they leave behind. Woodpeckers are active in the winter and will often leave behind splintered wood on the ground and holes in trees. Beavers are also quite destructive and will cut down entire trees.

Paint the Snow 

Do you have a creative kid? Why not try painting the snow? This is one of the best sensory play ideas. It’s an easy project, and you only need bottles, food coloring, and water to make the colored water paints. You can use squirt bottles or spray bottles to color the snow. Mix up the colors, add them to the bottles, and take them to fresh snow. 

Your kids can make shapes, practice writing their names, or simply enjoy watching the white snow turn into new colors. 

Go to a Ski Resort 

This is the most expensive idea on the list, but if you want a way to keep your kids active in the wintertime, you could try going to a ski resort. You can get lessons for the kids to learn snowboarding or skiing, or you could spend the day snow tubing instead. 

Shovel the Sidewalk or Drive 

Sometimes kids will avoid doing chores or helping out, but many kids really enjoy helping their parents do things. When it’s time to shovel the walk or driveway, give your kid a shovel too and let them help clear the way. 

They may lose interest once the novelty wears off, or it may be something they can do to help out during the winter months. As they get older, they may even be able to earn a couple of dollars from the neighbors for shoveling their walkways. 

Invite Friends Over to Play in the Snow 

As a parent, the idea of having additional kids over can feel overwhelming at times, but a playdate can also be a relief. Kids love playing together, and even if your kids have siblings, having a different person around can make things more fun. 

Your kids may be willing to play outside more if they have a best buddy to go with. They can come up with creative ways to play and explore the winter world together. 

See if any of the neighborhood children also enjoy playing outdoors. Maybe even plan an outdoor play date – Most likely making snowballs, a snow fort or igloo, and a snowball fight will be on their list of things to do for winter fun. Try making snow ice cream.

Challenge the kids to create their own sleds out of cardboard to add in more creativity and imagination to outdoor winter activities for kids.

You can read about more fun activities to play in the snow here.

Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids – Go On a Winter Hike

Heading outdoors in the Winter to go on a hike is a super easy way to enjoy the colder weather. It is free too! Walking along a nature trail looks completely different in the winter months. 

Choose a short, clear path if going with toddlers. A zoo is wonderful place to explore outdoors in the Winter with children of all ages.

If going with older children, try to pick a nature walk by a body of water like a pond, stream or river.  It is so interesting to watch the icy waters go by.

It is beautiful to go on a Winter hike when it is lightly snowing too. Observe all the beautiful and unique snowflakes that fall from the sky. 

Don’t forget to enjoy hot chocolate when you come inside!

Why Is it Important to Play Outside in the Winter?

Have you ever heard of the term cabin fever? There are different theories about where this term originated, but it’s something that most believe started in North America. 

Cabin fever may have at one point been associated with typhus fever, but today it has a different meaning. It’s a term that refers to that feeling you get when you’ve been stuck in a confined space for a long period of time.

The Merriam-Webster definition of cabin fever is, “…extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time.”

If you think about it, this definition is pretty apt for the way people feel in the wintertime, especially kids. Kids who spend many days inside may start to argue with their siblings, become irritable, or feel bored. They may even begin to feel a little blue.

Although your kids may think they would rather spend time inside on screens, once they’re bundled up and playing outside, even for a short period of time, it will help them feel refreshed and energetic.

 Want some reasons to motivate you to spend 20 minutes getting snow clothes on your kids for 30 minutes of playtime?

5 reasons why it’s good to participate in outdoor winter activities for kids (even during the cold months):

1. Helps build their immune system. We often think that playing in the cold will cause kids to get sick, but getting fresh air is actually a good way for them to avoid viruses and bacteria that are spread in the indoor air.
    
   • Some research also shows that playing outside can help strengthen the immune system and lower the risk of developing allergies.
      
2. Physical exercise is healthy for kids. Physical activity is good for muscular development, building an immune system, and maintaining a healthy weight.
     
3. Improves mood and behavior. Playing outside can help kids shake off that cabin fever feeling. As they physically move, try new things, and use both their bodies and their minds, they will begin to feel better.
    
   • The time spent outside will not only make them feel better, but it will also help them get rid of that stir-crazy feeling they’re developing from being pent up inside.
      
4. Helps kids sleep better at night. Getting sunshine and exercise are both helpful factors for helping your kids fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
    
5. Takes away from screen time. Screen time is a normal part of modern children’s lives, but too much time on screens can have negative effects such as irritability, difficulty sleeping, or behavioral issues.
    
   • Playing outside can break up the day and give kids a chance to do something other than look at a screen or play video games.

How Cold is Too Cold to Play Outside?

According to some medical and weather experts, it’s important to pay attention to the windchill factor, not just the temperature degree on cold winter days.

If the temperature is 32 degrees or above, it’s safe for kids to play outside. From 13 degrees to 32 degrees, kids can play outside for shorter spurts of time, like 20-30 minutes. If children have the proper gear on they can stay outdoors longer. Below that temperature, it’s advised to keep activities inside.

To keep kids safe, ensure that they have proper layering and don’t have parts of their skin exposed to the cold. Be sure to cover little hands and feet in warm socks, mittens and/or gloves.

Once kids become wet, it’s much easier to get cold, so try to provide winter gear that will keep them dry. Thankfully, most kids will let you know when they get too cold and come inside (especially older kids).

As always, you know your kids so use your instincts when it comes to playing outside during the winter. If it seems too cold, avoid going outside and choose fun inside winter activities instead.

For younger children, you may want to keep them inside for lower temps as little ones have a harder time regulating their body temperature.

Want More Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids? Here are More Resources for Winter Play

Do you need more resources, including indoor activities, to add to your list of fun winter activities for kids? The complete Winter Activities for Kids ebook includes the ideas above along with many more to keep the children entertained all season long!

You will get all the information above and so much more all in an easy to share or print PDF ebook. Grab your copy today!