25 Things to Do in Winter Off Devices & Super Fun!
If you live where it’s cold four or more months of the year, you need things to do in winter to break up the boredom. I live in northern Illinois, where right now, there is close to two feet of snow on the ground! It’s been a while since we’ve seen so much snow, but hey, we shouldn’t be surprised. The Arctic Jet Stream often blasts us with some deep freeze temperatures and brings a LOT of snow with it.
Anyway, it’s tempting to huddle inside and binge on YouTube videos or social media after lessons are over. But, too much screen watching and social media is unhealthy. Why not spend some unplugged time together instead? You could try a family game night or indoor scavenger hunt, winter tracing worksheets and activities, or, one of the fun things to do in winter below, some of which help you get the benefits of playing outdoors, even in winter.
Unplugged Fun Things to Do in Winter
Make icicle art.
This idea uses food coloring and ice to create unique patterns as the ice melts. You can make different colored ice cubes. Then, cover a cookie sheet with thick white paper. Arrange the ice cubes on the paper and watch what happens as they melt. This might present an opportunity to learn about chromatography and the light/color spectrum.
Learn about the winter solstice.
Did you that the solstices and equinoxes–astronomical events–are used to determine when the seasons change? It says in Genesis 1 that God put the stars in the sky to mark the passing of days, seasons, and years. You can use My Seasons Book to record what you learn about the winter solstice. What stars are in the sky? How high over the horizon does the sun rise? Why is the shortest day of the year? Maybe you might also explore some cultural myths about the winter solstice. It is traditionally associated with hope since the days grow progressively longer afterwards.
Investigate freezing points of different liquids.
At room temperature, many substances are liquid. But, some become solid in the refrigerator and some don’t even freeze in our kitchen freezers! So, another of the things to do in winter is to experiment with different freezing points. At what other time of year could you leave substances outdoors to test freezing points? Here are some ideas: coconut oil, water, olive oil, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, molasses, maple syrup, and/or honey. Take notes about the behavior of these substances and unique qualities they have. Also consider any patterns. Do oils behave the same? Sugars from nature? How could you use this information?
Blow bubbles outdoors.
This winter activity is super fun to watch. In summer time, the beautiful swirling bubbles blow away and pop just a bit too quickly. In winter, because of the cold, they linger and crystalize. After all, they are made of water and soap, so if it’s cold enough, they rapidly freeze. Try it! It’s amazing!
One of my favorite things to do in winter: Bake bread together.
Have you ever made home made bread? You don’t need a bread machine, just a basic bread recipe and a loaf pan. You can even change it up and make mini loaves, pretzels, or bagels. This is a favorite because, during those long winter days, it’s a great way to bond and pass time. It’s also super easy to do and there’s nothing quite like a fresh, warm loaf of bread straight from the oven. You can even make gluten free loaves using spelt flour. Winter is also the best time for this because it really heats up your kitchen!
Paint in the snow.
Of all the things to do in winter I bet you’ve never heard of this one! Here’s how you do it. It requires food coloring, water, and squirt bottles, like old ketchup or mustard bottles or those restaurant style ones that you can find at dollar stores. You could also use spray bottles, but it won’t be as precise. Basically, you paint the snow with colored water. Make sure you don’t dilute the food coloring tooo much or it won’t show up very well in the snow.
Play the Snowflake Matching Card Game
The cards for this game are included in the free download at the end of this post. You need to print two copies of the included sheet of cards. To help them last longer, you can print them on card stock or cover them in contact paper. Cut out both sets of cards and use them like you would any other memory matching game. This game is tricky! Some of the snowflakes look very similar. You could also make it a competition of speed.
To play it as a speed type game, one copy of the cards will be a gameboard and the other copy will be cut apart as the cards. Set a timer and see who can match all of their cards to the board first. Check for accuracy!
Do a Winter Scavenger Hunt
This takes a little preparation. But, it is one of the super fun things to do in winter to learn more about what’s in your local area in the winter! You can include trees, animals, specific places, scat and tracks, weather, clothing items, and whatever your imagination comes up with. You can just make a list of items to find or, for younger children, use simple drawings or photos. To track their progress, they can take a photo to prove their find. Then, you could print all their photos and make a collage afterwards to commemorate the day.
Do bark rubbings.
One of the things to do in winter that can encourage your children to notice nature more is to do bark rubbings of local trees. This is easier in winter because there are no leaves to contend with. Trees can be identified by their leaves, flowers, and bark. You can also make interesting homemade papers and cards with bark rubbings.
Make bird feeders for winter birds.
Even if you live in an apartment in the city, one of the things to do in winter is you can make a bird feeder. Instead of putting it up in your yard, perhaps you can bring it to a local nature preserve or park. Talk to the folks in charge and see if they will allow you to do so. Sometimes, local park districts and nature centers even offer workshops on making suet bird feeders for winter birds.
You can use a kid or scrap materials you have at home, such as this feeder, made from scraps and popsicle sticks. It is important to either use natural dye paints or no paints or varnishes at all. Also be careful that your materials can withstand snow and rain.
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