11 Winter Break Activities

“Mom, what are we going to do?!...” is heard across the country during winter breaks. Somedays it’s good to do nothing. Just hang out. Play. Chill out. Other days, it’s good to have a plan to make the day go by faster. Here are a few ideas for winter break activities whether you are just hanging out or making a plan…

1. Set up a scavenger hunt. Hide “treasures” under beds and inside closets. Make a map or write out hints of where to find things (for pre-readers use images). At zero cost…this activity is big on fun.

2. Clean the toy room. This activity makes space for new treats which were received over the holidays and allows your kids to “find” toys they had forgotten/lost. Also, it is a good time to make a bag of gently-used-grown-out-of-toys to give to a children’s charity.

3. Snack patrol. Have the kids (with your supervision) bake or create snack. Kids love to pull a chair up to the counter and measure, sift and stir. It is also a “teachable moment” where readers can read recipes and measure ingredients. Not only a boredom buster making snack is yummy.

4. Shopping list. Like snack patrol…shopping for food can be a family-friendly activity. Give the kids a small list and supervise them doing the shopping. Make sure each child has their own separate list (because kids shouldn’t fight over who gets the bananas).

5. Host a play date. Invite a friend to come play. Perhaps set up a child care switch where the friend comes to you today and your child goes to the friend’s house another day.

6. Book appointments. Many businesses still have office hours during winter break so why not use the time to visit the dentist, doctor or hair cutters?

7. Enjoy a family field trip. Take an afternoon to visit a museum, a zoo or another family-friendly destination. Crowds might be bigger than normal – but you can plan for that by taking some snacks and reminding kids to stay close.

8. Par-tay! Throw on your favourite dance music and have a dance party in the living room. Dancing is a great stress reliever and movement activity. It is just the right thing to shake off the winter blahs.

9. Make some art. Art is an important open-ended activity where kids can just create. Make a cardboard box into a space ship. Finger paint to music. Put food colouring in spray bottles and make snow art outside.

10. Do something for others. Have the kids help shovel an elderly neighbour’s driveway. Take lunch to Grandma’s house. Volunteer to help – as a family – at a local charity.

11. Have a media day. Have the kids create a magazine or book. They can draw artwork, create articles, and conduct interviews. Older kids can use a digital camera or camcorder to create a vlog. Not only would a media day be engaging – it also creates souvenirs for the family time capsule.

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