Best Winter Activities for Families

There are a ton of winter activities for families that you can do both inside and out. So family fun doesn’t have to stop just because it’s getting cold outside. Whether you live somewhere that sees a lot of snow in the winter or where it hardly ever snows there is no end to the fun that you can have as a family in the winter. Here are some of my favorite things to do in the winter with my family.

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Winter Activities for Families Indoors

Hot cocoa bar

Put out all the items that you need to make everyone’s favorite cup of hot cocoa. Marshmallows, candy bits, peppermint stix, or whatever their favorite toppings are. You can also have different types/flavors of hot cocoa for everyone to choose from.

Family movie night

After you make your hot cocoa put on your family’s favorite holiday movies and have a movie night together.

Story night

Pick some of your favorite winter stories and have a story night together. You can each take turns reading your favorite books to the family.

Bake cookies

Have everyone agree on a cookie type and make them from scratch. You can also make sugar cookies for everyone to decorate on their own.

Build a Gingerbread house

Let the kids put together and decorate a gingerbread house. You can find all kinds of kits that have all you need. But I like to get extra candy and icing to make sure there is enough for everyone.

Make homemade decorations

We did this one year for the whole tree. Handmade garland cut-out ornaments and handmade ornaments were all over the tree that year.

*Tip: don’t put the lights on for too long if you use a lot of paper decorations.*

You can also get plain plastic ornaments and decorate them with paint or put little figures in them. We still use some of the decorations that we made years ago each year.

Go through family pictures

One thing that we love to do is go through old pictures of the whole family. The kids love to learn about the different members of the family that they have never met.

Ugly Sweater Photo for Cards

Have everyone find the perfect Ugly Sweater for the family photo. This is a nice change from having everyone look picture perfect. And it’s a lot of fun to find the ugliest sweater out there.

Pajama Party

Pair a pajama party with a movie night and a hot cocoa bar. Have everyone get into their favorite PJs early and make a whole night of it.

Host an Ugly Sweater Party

Throw an ugly sweater party for the family and friends. Have everyone find their best ugly sweater and take a vote on which is the ugliest.

Related to Winter Activities for Families: Family Halloween Activities and Outside Activities for Kids

Winter Activities for Families Outdoors

Ice Skating

This is something the whole family will enjoy. Especially if no one is good at it. There may be some bumps and bruises along the way. But everyone is sure to have a blast.

Nature Walk

Local nature parks tend to have fewer visitors in the winter (and fewer bugs). So, you are more likely to be able to go for a stroll through the woods in the winter.

Build a Fire

There is nothing better than a warm fire on a cold evening. You can make a small fire to sit around and roast marshmallows or make smores. Telling stories of winter’s past is also a fun way to connect with your kids and let them learn about your past.

Visit Small Towns

My kids love to go for drives and explore small towns around us. They usually have really cool decorations out for the holiday’s and the historic districts are all decked out. You can also stop into some small shops while you are out to find some unique gifts for people on your list.

Go for a drive

Just going for a drive in the country is always a relaxing experience for us. It also gives you the chance to talk with your kids without it being forced. There are even some fun car activities that you can do to make it more fun.

Build a Snowman

If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow this is a really fun family activity in the winter. You can team up and make your own snowmen. Then have a neighbor judge which one is best.

Sledding

Searching for the best hill to go sledding is always fun. And don’t forget to go down the hill too! It can be tons of fun for the whole family.

Make Snow Angel

Have the family make their own snow angel in the front yard. And see how different they all are.

*Tip: Make sure to take picture of each snowman or angle so you can compare them to the next years’ ones*

Look at Christmas Decorations

Many people put up Christmas lights and decorations well before the holiday. This is a fun way to spend time together. You can put on your favorite holiday songs and enjoy a drive at night looking at all the cool lights and decorations that are up. Later you can vote on which was your favorite.

Snowball Fight

Have everyone bundle up and get outside for a snowball fight. You can do a free for all and make them as you go. Or you can pre-make snowballs so you don’t run out of ammo during the fight.

Winter Activities for Families Final Thoughts

Whether your area sees blankets of snow each year, or none at all. There are tons of things you can do both indoors and outside that are fun for the whole family. Just because there is no snow doesn’t mean there is still not a lot of fun things to do in the winter.

What are some of your favorite winter activities? Let me know in the comments!