How to Keep Kids Entertained During Winter Break

Winter can pose challenges for families and caregivers, but don’t let the season dampen the fun. Create new positive memories for children with engaging cold-weather activities. Indoor pursuits can be both cozy and exciting, providing an excellent opportunity to spend extra quality time with the family and foster creativity.

Holidays Around the World

From Kwanzaa to Chinese New Year, the winter months are brimming with celebrations. Children enjoy learning about different cultures and traditions. Mark your calendar for these significant holidays and take the time to read and discuss their history and meaning with the kids. Consider finding ways to honor or celebrate various holidays.

Hanukkah Activities

For Hanukkah celebrations, consider decorating dreidels, making veggie latkes, and reading stories about Hanukkah.

Christmas Activities

To celebrate Christmas, engage in activities such as making gingerbread houses, decorating stockings, reading “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and watching “The Nutcracker” ballet.

Kwanzaa Activities

For Kwanzaa, you can read a picture book about the holiday, engage in an activity involving corn (as Kwanzaa celebrates the first harvest, and corn is a significant part of that), and make pasta necklaces using traditional Kwanzaa colors to paint penne pasta before stringing it.

Activities for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve activities can encompass creating gratitude books, where children compile things they felt grateful for throughout the year. Additionally, engaging in the crafting of home decorations and writing down goals for the upcoming year can be meaningful and enjoyable activities.

 More indoor activities:

• Host a kids jokes competition
• Read a new book
• Have children write and illustrate its own book
• Practice handwriting and typing skills
• Hand those letters to family and friends
• Snowy toy car ramp
• Create air dry clay
• Painting snow-inside
• Make a bird feeder
• Watch holiday movies
• Plan a festive scavenger hunt
• DIY Crayon Resist Snowflakes
• Make skating popsicle stick dolls
• Set up a Snowman making station
• Host an indoor picnic
• Create a pillow fort
• Make a snow globe
• Master finger knitting
• Color seasonal coloring pages
• Decorate dreidels
• Learn a dreidel game
• Make latkes.
• Watch a local performance of “The Nutcracker” ballet
• Make gingerbread houses
• Read “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.”
• Host a kid friendly trivia night
• Do a Kwanza craft
• Indoor snowball fight
• DIY tissue paper stained glass suncatchers
• Read stories about Kwanza
• Make a gratitude book on New Year’s Eve
• Write New Year goals.
• Make fake snow inside
• Indoor obstacle course
• Create magazine collage art
• Take a long bath with bubbles and bathtub paint
• Make a puppet theater
• Create an indoor tent
• DIY LEGO playmat
• Turn the bathroom into a hari and nail salon
• Craft your own puppets
• Hosting an indoor campout
• Diamond snow dig
• Create a winter play scene
• Build Elsa´s ice palace with sugar cubes
• Play dress-up with old Halloween costumes
• Try a new recipe
• Have a game night
• Make and send cards to relatives and friends.
• Have a play-dough building challenge
• Build a cardboard fort
• Learn a classic game like chess or checkers.
• Decorate the windows with cling-on gel shapes
• Host a DIY pizza night
• Do some indoor exercise
• Story time by the fire
• Use these printable activities

Adhere (largely) to the Routine

One of the notable aspects of the winter break is the departure from the usual routine. While this break is a welcomed respite, it can pose challenges when trying to return to regular schedules. Hence, it is advisable to maintain bedtime around its typical time. Although it may present some initial challenges, it will contribute to the overall contentment of the children throughout the break and facilitate a smoother transition back to routine.

Recall the Enchantment

As adults, we often overlook how it is the little things that forge enchanting memories. Creating magical moments for children doesn’t necessitate a family vacation. Reflect on your cherished childhood memories and endeavor to recreate those experiences for the kids during winter break.