Winter is here, and while the season is beautiful, many parents find themselves running out of things to do to keep their little ones entertained! Whether it’s a snowy winter day or not, there are a lot of different activities you can do, including sensory play, creative & learning activities, and outdoor activities. In this blog, we’ll give you a few ideas to keep in your back pocket for a winter fun emergency!

Indoor Sensory & Fine Motor Fun

Snow Dough: Mix baking soda with hair conditioner or shaving cream to make the base for a sensory bin and add snow-themed toys like polar animals. 

Frozen Paint: Freeze paint in ice cube trays or yogurt cups and let your littles paint on paper or snow with them. 

Playdough Station: Use white playdough with glitter, buttons, or ribbon for making snowmen or snowflakes. 

Snowflake Crafts: Make snowflakes using pasta, coffee filters, popsicle sticks, or with finger paint.

Creative & Learning Activities

Winter Painting: Paint winter landscapes, use cookie cutters dipped in paint as stamps, or use white crayons on black paper to create a nighttime snowy scene. 

Snowman Building: Build indoors with playdough or craft materials, or use real snow outside with classic decorations. 

Color Hunts: Look for specific colors sticking out in the snow or in nature and use them to create a drawing or collage. 

Read a book: Spend some cozy time inside reading a few books about winter, snow, or polar animals.

Outdoor Activities

Spray Paint Snow: Use spray bottles with colored water to splatter “paint” on the snow. 

Ice Block Building: Freeze water in containers and use them as building blocks or paint them with colored water. 

Scavenger Hunt: A fun outdoor activity for slightly warmer winter days is to have a scavenger hunt! You can find a premade one or make one that’s suited for the area you live in.

Hot Chocolate Picnic: Make some hot chocolate, pack a few snacks, and have a quick picnic outside!