Winter activities for the kids
The new year is here, which means a fresh start for you and your family. With winter in full swing, cabin fever can feel very real, and it can be challenging to keep kids entertained. Whether or not you live in a cold climate, this list of winter activities can be done all year long! Here are some of our favorite indoor activities to keep your kids entertained at home.
Sensory bins
Children learn best when they touch and feel something, smell, or even hear. These are called sensory activities, as they allow children to use and focus on their senses. A sensory bin is a great sensory exercise to keep your toddler entertained. It usually involves a plastic tub or container filled with materials and objects that stimulate the senses. Materials such as water, sand, pom poms, and colored pasta are great options to fill your bin. Not only are sensory bins fun, but they are an important part of early childhood learning, as they support fine motor skills, critical thinking, creativity, and imagination.
A popular winter version is creating a snow sensory bin. Start by gathering materials such as pipe cleaners, sticks, buttons, bottle caps, gems, and foam snowflakes. For faux snow, mix baking soda and water together. Show your kids how they can pick up the snow with a small shovel or ice cream scooper, and have them build little snowmen and decorate with buttons, caps, sticks or whatever materials you have at your disposal.
Building forts
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned fort? Although your entire living room will be taken over by boxes, pillows, blankets, and chairs, a fort is the perfect cozy nook for reading, drawing, and playing, plus keeps your kids entertained for hours. Along with creating a sense of independence, fort building has benefits like cognitive skills, problem solving, and exercise from all of the building and gathering. If you like ideas like these, check out more indoor activities to do with your toddler here.
Indoor play gym
When it’s too cold to play outside, but the little ones are going stir-crazy, an indoor play gym is a perfect solution to burn off energy. They provide children with a safe environment, exercise, and enhance creativity. Choose a space, whether a guest room, basement, or playroom. From tumbling blocks to a small trampoline, slide, or even a ball pit, all are great options for endless stay-at-home fun.
Arts & crafts
Celebrate the winter season with simple crafts that keep your little ones' hands busy. Exposure to art provides kids with the tools they need to develop creative problem solving skills, self esteem and expression. Turn a boring, cold day into an enjoyable one with cute Egg Carton Penguins, No Mess Paper Plate Snowflakes, or create a simple snowman with construction paper! You can also make an art project with recycled materials or food, like DIY bird feeders.
Winter-themed books
A great way to teach your kids about the changing seasons is by introducing seasonal books you can read together. Find a comfy corner, curl up under blankets, sip on some hot cocoa and choose from popular books, including The Story of Snow, The Last Marshmallow, Baby Penguin, and Can Bears Ski. Your kids will love these books about winter adventures, snow, wintery animals, and more. Easily find them all online at Barnes and Noble, or browse your local bookstore!
Cooking with kids
It’s never too early to bring your little ones into the kitchen. Most toddlers love helping out in the kitchen but can lose their attention fast, so short quick tasks are best to keep them occupied and focused. Safety is essential, so make sure any sharp, hot or heavy objects are out of reach. Activities such as washing fruits and vegetables, sprinkling herbs, adding ingredients to bowls, stirring, and pressing buttons are great ways to start. The best part of cooking with kids is having them experience and explore their senses from taste, touch, and smell. Build a snowman pizza, a fun penguin-themed snack, or make a festive chocolate or yogurt bark.
We hope our list of activities breaks up the indoor boredom this winter. If you’re bundling up and venturing out for a stroll with the family, be prepared for a frosty adventure with the best car seat stroller combo and any of our winter stroller accessories. Stay warm!
At Doona, we believe that parenting should be simple. That’s why we’ve created the best car seat stroller combo, the Doona Car Seat and Stroller which transforms from a car seat to a stroller in the click of a button; and Liki Trike — the most compact folding toddler trike on the market that grows alongside toddlers with five modes of use.
