Sanity Saving Winter Activities For Kids (+ Free Printable Schedule!)

The winter months are a juggle with the kids. They have winter break, lots of random school days off, and even more snow days. Add in the extra germs this time of year, and it’s easy to go a little stir crazy.

But my kids also do better with a bit of routine to keep them grounded.

That’s why you’ll find winter activities for kids and ideas for a weekly and daily schedule to cover some of these extra days together.

Giving kids some structure in the winter relieves the stress of coming up with something from scratch every single day. It also…

• reduces fights and behavior issues out of boredom
• incorporates amazing life-long habits, like learning and exercise
• gets kids off of screens
• helps you fulfill your winter bucket list (so you’re having fun, even if the season gets hard)

Bottom Line: Winter schedule and activities ideas are fun. But they’re also a sanity saver!

Most Helpful Daily Winter Schedule

First, let’s look at routine ideas that HELP YOU as a parent. I like using a routine checklist, especially when the kids are out of school and we still need to get things done. The kids can do screen time later in the day if they complete all the actions. This teaches them that screens are a privilege, not a right. (It also happens to be the most motivating reward in our house).

Consider any of these for a general routine checklist:

Have you…

• Eaten breakfast

• Gotten dressed

• Brushed your teeth

• Brushed your hair

• Finished your chores (Give them a chore chart!)

• Played outside for 60 minutes (depends on the weather)

• Read for 30 minutes

• Played with your sibling for 30 minutes

• Done something creative for 30 minutes

• Helped someone

• Done 30 minutes of learning (math games, workbook skills, etc)

Winter Schedule Themes & Activities

Next, use this weekly schedule to make each day of your winter breaks exciting. (Without having to come up with new things all the time!) Follow it day by day or pick and choose according to what kids winter activities work for you!

Make It Monday

• Do some coloring (color in these bookmarks)
• Paint watercolor or paint on a canvas
• Make kids vision boards (perfect around New Years!)
• Play with playdough or Kinetic sand
• Make a family mission statement
• Make something and do an act of kindness (treats, cards, etc)
• Paint with ice cubes, do splatter art, or create “snow paint” with shaving cream.
• Make LEGO creations (Try these free lego challenge cards)
• Make “pirate treasure” to use for the Pirate Treasure Hunt
• Put together a puzzle
• Make a family bucket list or family goals for the year
• Make a “10 Reasons Why I love You” for a family member
• Make a blanket fort
• Make a craft with pinecones
• Make hearts and leave them on each other’s doors
• Make paper snowflakes

Travel Tuesday

Take a trip to the:

• Park or playground
• Library
• Mall
• Aquarium
• Museum
• Winter nature walk (do a nature scavenger hunt or a bike ride if the weather works out)
• Movie theater
• Store
• Winter picnic at a park
• Story time
• If it has snowed, find a good hill for sledding

Wild Wednesday

Pull out the winter games and get wild!

• Play Winter This or That
• Build a snowman in the yard
• Have a snowball fight
• Try the snowflake punch game
• Play the Build a Snowman dice game
• Watch Frozen and play the trivia
• Play these fun card games
• Make a winter obstacle course
• Have a crazy hair and pajama day
• Wild minute to win it games
• Play Valentine’s Day Games
• Play charades
• Have a pillow fight
• Dance party freeze
• Play the Winter 5 Second Rule game
• Try these quiet games when you’re low on energy

Thinking Thursday

It’s easy to slack off on learning during all of the breaks. But this day is a great way to ensure kids’ minds stay sharp. Learn something new today!

• Do a science experiment
• Play kids trivia (or teen trivia for older kids)
• Play these whiteboard games
• Write a thank-you note to someone
• Work on reading skills (Try the Reading Fun Pack!)
• Read a book or start a new read-aloud series together
• Write a story
• Work in a workbook or with free printables
• Make a family invention on National Inventor’s Day- February 11th.
• Learn a new chore or life skill
• Have a fun storytime in the bathtub
• Watch an interesting documentary
• Listen to a fun kids podcast
• Journal

Foodie Friday

Explore food together:

• Make a hot chocolate bar
• Make snowman pancakes
• Have a soup day
• Build your own mini pizzas
• Make chili
• Go to a restaurant
• Have a living room campout with s’mores and camping food
• Have a family picnic inside
• Make fancy popcorn
• Try a fun new snack with a trivia theme
• Make rainbow stew
• Make smoothies
• Bake a treat, like fancy bread
• Make chocolate-covered strawberries

Free Printable Kids Activity Winter Schedule

Grab the free printable winter activities for kids here:

Winter Theme Activities For Kids

Next, make slow weeks extra special by giving your activities schedule an at-home camp theme.

Outdoor Adventure Week

Plan hikes, nature walks, and outdoor scavenger hunts.

Sports Extravaganza Week

Try a new sport each day, from soccer to swimming or even mini-golf. (This is great around the winter Olympics or other fun sporting events)

Winter Staycation

Make it a vacation at home they’ll never forget.

Culinary Creations Week

Cook and bake together all week long. Explore new recipes and different cultural cuisines.

Literary Journey Week

Dive into a different book or series and have daily reading sessions. Check out the Reading Fun Pack for more >>

Community Service Week

Volunteer together at local charities or organize neighborhood clean-ups.

Family Movie Marathon

Select a theme and spend the week watching all the movies in the series.

Try these books that are also movies, or see a list of winter family movies >>

Space Week

Spend a week learning about stars, planets, and space exploration. Don’t forget to go star gazing and visit a planetarium.

Explore Your City

Plan daily outings to local museums, parks, zoos, and historical sites.

Music and Movement

Have a week dedicated to dancing, singing, and exploring different musical instruments.

DIY Science Camp

Conduct science experiments at home, from making slime to building homemade volcanoes.

Living Room Camping

Set up tents in the house! Don’t forget the stargazing, storytelling, and great camping games.

Pro Tip: You can make any of your child’s interests into a themed week. Explore dinosaurs, robotics, sewing, language, and more!

What’s Next?

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