Winter (at least, leading up to Christmas) is one of the busiest times of year in our family. There’s just so much going on and always something on the calendar! It’s been very difficult for our family to find time to spend together, but I know the importance of good quality family time and how much my kids (and even I) crave it when we don’t get it as much as we’d like. I struggle to find the time to fit it into our already busy schedules and I realize many are probably in the same boat! I’ve put together a list of some of our favorite family winter activities - some that don’t take a lot of prep or time - and many that can be done even after the busy holiday season!
Decorate cookies - While we typically associate this with Christmas, this can honestly be done any time of the year! While this does take some planning, it doesn’t all have to be done at one time! You can make the cookies one day and decorate them another! These make great gifts if you do it before the holidays and the kids love getting to join in on the fun! While you may have your favorite family recipe for sugar cookies, I love this easy recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction! I haven’t found a recipe I don’t like from her! Here is a great recipe for a Gingerbread House if that’s more up your alley!
Take a drive to look at Christmas lights - This is an oldie, but a goodie! Put the kids in their PJ’s, wrap them in a cozy blanket, and make some Hot Cocoa, and load everyone up for a drive! Go look at all the fun Christmas lights around the town while listening to Christmas music! This is one of my favorite memories from childhood!!!
Reflect on the past year and make goals for the new one - This is a pretty typical activity adults do around New Years, but we often forget to get the kids involved! It can certainly be tricky if your kids are really little, but you never know what they might say, so don’t leave them out! Have everyone write down their favorite memories from the year and/or what they are looking forward to in the upcoming year. Stash them away in an envelope with the year labeled on the front to pull out and read every year around this time (or any time you need a reminder of how blessed you are)!
You can also set new goals for the upcoming year and look back at the end of next year to see how much you’ve grown and improved!
Try a new recipe - With it being so cold outside, I find myself looking for more indoor activities this time of year. That makes winter a great time to try a new recipe! There are so many ways you can get the kids involved and help out in the kitchen! These kids safety kitchen knives are a great way to let them start learning some cutting skills and *bonus* if your kids help make the meal, they tend to be more likely to eat it!!!
If you’re trying to make some healthier changes for the new year, I have really enjoyed several of the cookbooks by SkinnyTaste! I particularly like this one that is quick and easy meals - and my kids love most of them as well!
Have a family game night or weekend marathon - If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while, you probably know by now that my family LOVES a good game night! In fact, every year, we get a new game for the kids as a “family gift” to add to our collection! I prefer to pick out the game ahead of time and stack them in the order we will play them to eliminate arguing, but sometimes, we let the kids choose what games we play. If you need help stocking your game closet, check out a list of our favorite family and kid games! My kids made “medals” and kept records of who won what games and declared a “winner” of the entire game day. Now we battle to see if the reigning champion can hold the title or if someone will take it over! Ha!
Have a movie night or a movie marathon - Similarly to a family game night, we also very much enjoy family movie nights! We pop some popcorn, make some special treats (my kids love these “kid friendly charcuterie boards”), and make some hot cocoa, then pick a fun Christmas movie or just a family favorite! Check out our “Snack Ideas for Kids” Pinterest board for fun snack ideas that your kids can even help create! Get all cozy in pj’s, slippers, and blankets and enjoy!
Go out to the movies - While my kids don’t mind the cold weather so much, it is not my thing, so I prefer to find indoor activities as much as possible! I always ask aunts and uncles for movie theater gift cards for the kids as Christmas gifts so we can really make a big night of it! There’s usually one or two movies that come out between January and March that the kids really want to see, so we do our best to plan to take them out at least once in the winter months. While you don’t have to splurge on the extras (popcorn and candy), if you plan ahead or use gift cards, those little extras can really make this a special and memorable activity! Maybe even ask for gift cards to Chick-fil-A, McDonalds, or Dairy Queen so you can do dinner and a movie! (Did you know Amazon carries gift cards to most major movie theaters as well as many fast food restaurants?! This makes getting the right gift card easy for family members who may not have the same theater in their town!)
Have a hot chocolate contest - Make a big batch of hot chocolate and set out a “hot chocolate bar”. Let your kids make their own creations and see who makes the best cup of hot chocolate!
Get crafty - There are so many crafts my kids enjoy, but I don’t always have the time for. Winter is a great time to let their creativity come out and get to crafting! Whether it’s paper snowflakes or bird seed ornaments, there’s so much you can get into! Find something your kids are interested in and let them have fun! They will likely make a mess, but I find that if I know that going into an activity, I’m much more at eas about it! For a mess free option, these origami kits are so much fun and provide all you need!
I hope these inspire you with some great ideas of what you can do with your kids this winter as the weather gets colder! Playing in the snow is great (if you live somewhere that gets snow!), but for many, that’s not something you can count on or plan all the time. Check out our “Activities for Kids” for Pinterest Board for more ideas and activities to get you through the Christmas break and cold winter season!
Terri - General Manager at Milk + Honey Jewelry