Outdoor Winter Activities For Kids

You can often hear people say that it can be challenging in winter to encourage children to go out and enjoy outdoors in cold weather. Growing up in Siberia, where snow covers the earth for 7-8 months of the year, I learnt to appreciate outdoor play immensely.

If it was too cold (-30C) we would usually stay indoors. However, the majority of our leisure time was spent skiing, sliding down the hills, making snowmen, tackling friends into soft snowdrifts, and playing snowball fights. For those of you who are enjoying winter break with your children, here is a list of activities and ideas to do outdoors that are fun and educational.

The children-led play is one of the best choices parents can make allowing their kids to choose, create and follow their outdoor adventures in nature – discovering and satisfying their curiosity:

Drawing on snow with sticks

Creating patterns on snow with sticks and rocks

Make snow shower by standing under branches with caps of snow and shaking the tree and branches

Play with sticks and stones in the snow – Happy Hooligans 

Go on a winter-themed nature walk – Rain Or Shine Mama

Learning to appreciate nature and  make observations during this special and magical time of the year is a great way to enlarge child’s world and engage their senses in fun activities:

Learn to identify animals by footprints on the snow

Go on a Nature Scavenger hunt in winter – Montessori Nature (subscriber freebie)

Make a snow volcano – Growing a Jeweled Rose

Decorate an outdoor edible tree for the animals – Wilder Child

Find out about 10 ways to study nature in winter – iHomeschool Network

Learn how to build an igloo out of the snow – Your Modern Family

Study winter backyard astronomy with kids – Go Explore Nature

Do nature study in winter – Elemental Science

There are plenty of outdoor fun activities to do that are a great way to spend time outside as a family or include in birthday celebration:

DIY Snow Paint – The SITS girls

Snowy Obstacle Course – The Inspired Treehouse

Paint a Snowman – How Does She

Snow Lanterns – Little Green Fingers

Ice Ornaments – RED TED art

How to Make Water Balloon Marbles – Hurrayic

Marvelous Snowshoe Monster Feet – Apartment Therapy

Creating an Ice Jewel Dig Outside – Wilder Child

How to Make Maple Syrup Taffy – The Kitchn

Make Snow Cream – Sugar Pie Farmhouse

Make Winter Nature Craft – Growing Family

I hope you got inspired and will have awesome fun this winter with your children!

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You might like to check my other resources

Winter Vocabulary – 3 Part Cards (Teachers Pay Teachers)

Winter Pack for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers (Teachers Pay Teachers)

Learning to Count 0-10 Math Cards English & Spanish Winter Theme (Teachers Pay Teachers)

Winter Pack – Montessori Inspired Hands-on Activities (Teachers Pay Teachers)