Guest Post: 6 Winter Activities for Parents and the Kids

Keeping kids moving and engaged in winter months can be a challenge as it’s very tempting to just stay indoors and keeping warm. However this can not only make the children antsy but is also a surefire way of getting cabin fever for you too! There are plenty of activities to keep the kids busy and entertained during the winter months. These activities are the best ones I’ve found to bond with your children this Winter rather than letting them just bond with the TV!

1. Attend Sporting Events

Cheering on a team together and watching the exciting play-by-play action is not only a great way to fight off winter blues but also makes for a brilliant way to experience something amazing together. It doesn’t have to be Football or Rugby either. Think about getting tickets to a hockey or basketball game to change things up.

If going to a sporting event isn’t feasible, you can have a little healthy competition at home. For instance:

• Watch a big game at home. Enjoy the game along with some food and snacks (healthy and unhealthy..)
• Have the kids race the kids electric cars in the house or in a nearby outdoor space. Up the ante by rewarding the winner!
• Challenge your kids to a tournament of their favourite sports video game. Make it competitive by introducing a fun prize for the winner.

2. Volunteer

A great way to teach kids about helping others is by example. And winter is a great time to do this as it offers plenty of volunteer opportunities. To volunteer with your children, talk to them about what issues matter to them and the causes they would like to support. Do they feel sad about elderly people who don’t have kids or grand kids nearby to visit them? Do they want to make children in the hospital smile? Are they concerned about the environment? Is poverty and homelessness a great concern to them? Once you’ve identified the causes they’d like to support, go to your community centre, local shelter, hospital or library ask what you can do.

Suggestions of specific activities you can do include hosting a party or doing arts and craft projects for kids in the hospital, helping out at your local food bank, donating warm coats and blankets to a shelter and walking dogs at your local animal shelter.

3. Outdoor Adventures

There are lots of adventure activities you can do with your children in winter. You can go ice-skating, skiing, snow tubing or sledding, build a snowman, snow forts or igloos or make snow angels or animal sculptures. Going on a winter hike in a park or the woods is another great way to enjoy winter outdoors.

If your kids are nature lovers, get a pair of binoculars and go bird watching. Have your kids keep a journal with pictures and descriptions and compare it to the different birds they see in other seasons.

4. Road Trips

Road trips are just brilliant for father/child bonding. Being in a car for hours on end provides ample time to talk together. Some of the deepest conversations I’ve had with my son have happened on road-trips. The trip can be as simple as a day trip to a museum, a natural attraction or a local zoo or as complex as a cross-country trip.

Make sure everyone leaves their gadgets/phones at home so you can enjoy the journey together. Also, choose your favourite car music and pack some snacks. Remember, it’s not so much about the destination as it is the journey.

5. Get Crafty

Engaging in art and craft activities with kids is not only fun and enjoyable but is also therapeutic. When engaging in a creative process with kids, we provide a platform for them to express their thoughts and feelings. This is especially true for younger kids who are not able to verbalize their complex emotions.

Here are some arts and crafts ideas you can do with your kids:

• Build a bird-feeder using pine cones, peanut butter, birdseed, and some strings, then hang them up and spend the afternoons birdwatching.
• Make a homemade snow globe. Clean out an empty baby food jar and fill it with sparkles, glitter, and teeny beads. Add water and shake it up.
• Make slime. Slime is popular with kids as it is easy and fun to make. Additionally, there are many ways of preparing it. Here’s how to make slime with ingredients you can find at the grocery store.

6. Catch a Parade

Head outdoors with your kids and watch the Christmas parade / show in your town. Your children will enjoy seeing storybook figures, wildlife characters and, of course, Santa himself. Be sure to pack hot chocolate and some cookies to stay warm.

Winter blues shouldn’t take a toll on your kids. Keep them active and engaged with the activities mentioned above and there will be plenty of fun ahead for all of you.

About the Author
Han-Son runs DaddiLife - a parenting website for dads which covers a range of areas from things to do, health, reviews and much more.