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Winter is coming and so is the colder weather! As a child growing up in Maine, I loved playing outdoors in the snow.
But I get it–sometimes you don’t want to go outside with the kids, and maybe you can’t send them out alone.
Or maybe you just need a fun change of pace to spark your creativity and keep everyone from going a little stir-crazy.
If the reasons for limiting screen time have you convinced and you’re going for low-screen kids, there’s no need to get out the iPad. Just pick one of these fun, screen-free winter activities for kids!
You’ll find a nice mix here. With printable learning activities, hands-on crafts, fun games, and a couple unique outdoor activities, you’re sure to find something your kids will enjoy.
Don’t have time to go through the whole list right now? Save it to Pinterest for later!
These paper dolls are adorable and a fun quiet activity for toddlers or preschoolers.
My parents have a similar toy that they bought for when the grandkids visit, and my son loves to dress the little boy in his different outfits.
The hats and coats make this a fun winter-themed activity!
My son loves making words with alphabet blocks or the magnetic letters on the fridge. These free printable read, write, build mats make learning fun and easy by giving your child a template to work from.
They can be a little more independent, and you can be a little more hands off knowing they're developing useful skills!
Word searches are another simple and fun indoor activity for kids. This one is themed for winter, making it a perfect activity for a blustery winter day.
None of the words are backwards, making it a great choice for early readers.
Can't get enough word searches? This printable includes a cute coloring section.
Some of these words are backwards, making it a good choice for slightly older readers.
This printable pack is a great selection of learning activities for preschoolers. There's drawing, tracing, counting, mazes and more, all with a winter theme.
My son loves, loves, loves cutting and gluing. This activity is pretty much a young child's dream. Just gather up some buttons, q-tips, googly eyes, and other fun crafting supplies. Then cut out the snowman printable and let your kids go to town.
This post also includes question suggestions to engage your child while they're building their snowman.
I love this idea! The next time you get a package packed with starch packing peanuts (the biodegradable kind that dissolve in water, not the styrofoam kind), save them to make melting snowmen with your kids.
This idea is so simple but lots of fun. And you could turn it into a learning activity from more than one angle--talk about why certain things dissolve but others don't, or talk about reducing waste and preserving the planet.
Love the "build a snowman" idea but want something a little fancier? Rhoda has put together this adorable snowman printable pack that your kids can cut out and glue together.
Add in a few crafting supplies to let them make the snowmen uniquely theirs.
Fun and Simple Snowman Project Perfect for Classroom Holiday Parties
Last snowman craft--I promise! Nicole calls this a "following directions activity that is simple enough for a Kindergartener, but fun enough for fifth graders."
This is a cute activity that gets kids thinking about their families and facts about themselves.
She created it as a class party activity, but it would be just as fun for kids at home. They'll follow the directions for decorating their snowmen, using things like the letters of their own names to name their snowmen and their number of siblings to choose an eye color.
BINGO! This is a great activity for the whole family.
The winter pictures in this free printable are so cute. And picture bingo is perfect for kids! The pictures make it easy for younger children, but older children will have fun with it too.
If you can't get enough of bingo, here's another adorable printable set to keep your kids (and you!) entertained on those long, cold winter days.
The fun thing about this set is that it's totally customizable. Put together your boards in any order you want and make unique boards for large or small groups.
I mean, really, what's a kids activities list without a slime recipe? And this one is actually 7 recipes!
This site is a really neat resource. It includes scientific explanations behind activities--like how slime works and why you need the specific ingredients in it.
Use the recipes in this list to make melting snowman slime, snowflake slime, fake snow slime, and more.
Combine snack time with playtime with this fun activity.
These polar bears are so cute--and kids will love them because they're edible too! (Note: I'd personally suggest using natural food coloring like these since so many kids are sensitive to artificial food dyes.)
This is a fantastic idea. If your kids want to go ice skating, but you're not feeling up to getting everyone bundled up to go outside--or if you live somewhere that doesn't have good ice skating, give this contact paper skating rink a try.
I know I would have had a blast doing this as a kid!
This activity is so simple, and kids will love it.
If you don't have icicles where you live, you might try pieces of ice instead. But I gotta say there is something appealing about bringing an icicle indoors to paint with.
These icy suncatchers are beautiful! If you live somewhere where it gets below freezing in the winter, this activity is sure to be a winner.
Your kids will enjoy putting the ornaments together and watching them sparkle in the crisp winter air.
I've only just gotten brave enough to let my 4-year old try painting. Our local kids museum has tables set up with watercolors, and on our last visit, I let him have at it. (The 1-year old also got to paint some--funny how we relax with subsequent kids, isn't it?)
This looks like a super fun way to let your kids paint without having to worry about cleaning up a mess. And, as a bonus, if you do it outdoors, it will get them outside too!
Unfortunately, we live in the South now where it hardly ever snows... but I will definitely be keeping this in mind for future snowstorms.
If you have a group of kids to keep entertained this winter, this snowman variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey is sure to be a winner. Visit the post to get free printable accessories for your snowman!
This craft is a fun way for kids to make Christmas cards to give their friends, or just an enjoyable winter-themed activity. You'll need to help younger children with the cutting and gluing.
Which of these activities were your favorite? What winter activities do your kids enjoy?