13 Winter Family Activity Ideas
Beat the winter blues – and boredom.
One of the best things about the winter season is the increased family time. The outdoors get cold and snowy, there’s ambient lighting indoors, and the cozy season is just waiting to be embraced. If you’re trying to make the most of the season with little ones or those you love, try these winter family activities full of fun for the whole family.
1. Decorate the Tree
Some of the best winter family activities come in the form of holiday traditions, like decorating the Christmas tree. Whether you have an artificial tree you need to pull out of the attic or a real one you just chopped down yourself, spend time with your family bedecking the branches with colorful ornaments and lights. Not only will this allow you to spend precious time with your loved ones, it prepares the house for a festive look that’s an iconic staple for the winter season.
Another holiday tradition that’s a great winter activity for kids is hanging stockings. This, along with decorating the Christmas tree, builds the anticipation for Christmas Eve, when each stocking will be filled with goodies. Give your little ones their own stocking to hang on the mantel or over a stocking holder and watch their excitement grow as the countdown to the holiday begins.
While you’re putting up your Christmas tree and stocking, break out the rest of your Christms decor and let your little ones and loved ones place them around the home. Getting everyone involved in sprucing up the home for the holidays is a perfect way to spend quality time together and create a festive scene in your home.
Tip!
Speaking of Christmas decor, decorate budget-style with ideas from our guide: Decorating For Christmas on a Budget
4. Make Breakfast Together
If you haven’t been able to tell, a lot of our favorite winter family activities have something to do with baking. The kitchen is the heart of the home and who doesn’t love making delicious homemade foods? Having breakfast together is a simple way to have fun with the family and get everyone involved in the food prep. Opt for an easy menu of pancakes on the griddle or waffles in the waffle maker with some whipped cream, of course. If you’re cooking with little ones, be sure to let them get in on the fun of preparing the batter and dousing their creation with their preferred amount of cream for a fun (and sugar-filled) morning.
Tip!
Choose the best griddle for your pancakes from our guide: 12 Best Pancake Griddles That Stack Up
5. Bake Holiday Cookies
One of the easiest (and yummiest) winter activities for kids and adults is cookie baking. Baking holiday cookies is so much fun with season-theme cookie cutters that transform the standard round cookie into one that’s lively and fun. All you need is a recipe to follow, some mixing bowls and whisks, and your festive holiday cookie cutters. Just remember to save us a few!
Another fun winter activity to try with the family is making a gingerbread house! These yummy, colorful houses are full of seasonal festivity and are perfect for kids to get in on. Just make sure to follow your recipe closely and have all the baking tools beforehand to make the process easier.
Movies and baking aren’t the only winter family activities – games are an option, too! Having indoor games adds a level of friendly competition to your time indoors together. Add a foosball table or multi-game table that comes equipped with several game settings to switch it up from time to time.
Who says all of your indoor winter activities have to take place at your own home? Load up the family and head to a mountain getaway for a weekend. The mountains are a beautiful place to travel to in the winter, with cozy vibes to contrast the cold outside. It’s perfect if you’re looking for personal family time with your loved ones.
There are so many iconic holiday movies to watch this time of year! Set up the ultimate family movie theater and get cozy with a batch of popcorn, candy, and sodas to pretend you’re at an actual theater. To make the seating extra cozy, throw in a festive holiday blanket and pillows, dim the lights, and you’re ready to go! When the salty popcorn feast is over, set up a hot chocolate bar full of all the yummy marshmallows and other toppings for a sweet drink to finish the movie out.
Speaking of Christmas Eve and winter activities for kids, what better way to build the excitement of the season than by writing a letter to Santa? Grab some envelopes, sheets of paper, and pens and give your little ones the chance to write down all the goodies they want for the holiday. Put each letter in the “mail” to send off to Santa and who knows… he might even write back.
11. DIY Ornament Balls
One indoor winter activity we love for those of all ages is creating your own DIY ornaments. Decorating solid ball ornaments is a great way to customize your tree for a personal style that reflects you and your family. Start with a solid Christmas ball ornament in the color of your choosing and add all the designs you can think of, from sparkles to paint and writing. Let the ornament dry if you use any wet material before hanging and displaying your DIY holiday craft.
Since the weather is anything but warm during the season, indoor winter activities like crafts are the way to go. Crafts make the perfect winter activities for kids since they’re hands-on, fun, and most of the time, cheap! Craft your own holiday decorations, like this dried orange garland – all you need is a few oranges sliced into ½” disks, a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet, and an oven preheated to 275°F. Spread the orange slices over the wire rack and bake the slices for three hours (flipping the slices several times), and you have dried fruit ready to string together for a DIY garland!
Christmas is a holiday where everything turns into a family-oriented activity, including making cozy meals for dinner. Similar to breakfast, cook a nice homemade meal to enjoy together around your family table. To make the tablescape festive for the holiday, use your holiday tableware after laying down a holiday runner.
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Now that you’ve seen some of the best winter family activities, it’s time to have some fun!
