There are so many fun things to do in winter with your family. This Winter bucket list is jam-packed with so many fun things to do with your family this winter.
If you are looking for creative and fun things to do with your family this winter, that don’t cost an arm and a leg we have compiled your go-to list for fun with the family! Be sure to grab our winter bucket list printable cards and use this list to plan all your fun adventures this season.
Don’t forget to check out our fall bucket list ideas.
Winter Bucket List ideas
Look at Christmas Lights
There is nothing better than going on a drive or a walk as a family and look at Christmas lights. You usually can find a neighborhood or two that go all out on their lights.
Talk to your kids about what they love about each one or maybe even have a light scavenger hunt while you are looking.
Decorate Cookies
Christmas cookies are one of those memories we probably all remember as a kid. Start this Christmas tradition with your kids this year if you haven’t already.
I find it to be easier to premake or prebuy the sugar cookies. I use circle cookies or I will cut shapes out. Then I dye a bunch of frosting get all kinds of sprinkles and decorating supplies.
Once I have everything, I lay it on the table and let the kids decorate.
Yes, some cookies will have a lot of frosting, but let them express their creativity while making because those are the cookies they will remember for years to come.
Go to a cabin
Wintertime means snowfall (hopefully)! So go to a nearby cabin for the weekend. There you can snuggle around the campfire, drink hot chocolate, and go sledding or skiing if it has snowed. visiting a cabin is the perfect escape to reconnect with your family.
Go to Zoo Lights
If you haven’t been, zoo lights is a must this winter. Zoo lights is when the zoo stays open later than normal and is decorated with Christmas lights. It is a whole new way to see your favorite zoo.
Drink Eggnog
It’s never too early to drink eggnog! Introduce your kids to this holiday drink as you watch your favorite movie or eat your favorite treat.
Eggnog appears in stores around mid-October so look for it early so you can enjoy it all season long OR try your hand at making your own homemade eggnog so you can enjoy it all year long!
Play in the snow
Playing in the snow is a must in the winter season. If you don’t live near the snow, pack up for a weekend and take the kids on a snow trip. While there, build a snowman, make snowballs, go sledding, and maybe even skiing.
Don’t forget the hot chocolate when you are all done.
Make Christmas Cookies
In our house, we have so many different types of cookies we make around Christmas time. We make these cookies and then make a list of people to share them with around the holidays.
Making these cookies together not only teaches your kids about serving others, but it also is a lot of fun for them.
Make a gingerbread house
Gingerbread houses scream Winter to me. Buy a premade gingerbread house kit or grab a template to make your own gingerbread house. Then pick up all kinds of treats and candies to be able to create a gingerbread village.
If you have little kids, creating gingerbread house might be a little more difficult with how big the pieces are, try using graham crackers for their houses.
This will be a family bucket list item loved by everyone!
Go ice skating
Ice skating is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Be sure to grab the whole family and go ice skating at an indoor rink or find an outdoor rink pop up location that sets up for winter.
You can guarantee that you will have so much fun and laugh a lot as you watch and encourage each other while they give ice skating a try.
Wrap presents
It isn’t winter until you get to wrap presents!
Teach the kids how to wrap presents so they learn this valuable skill. I like to pick up a roll of paper at the Dollar Store for each of my kids to practice with. I give them a square box and teach them how to wrap.
Once they have mastered it (in their eyes) they then wrap the gifts they bought for family members.
Give to Someone in Need
Giving to someone in need is one of my favorite things to do in winter. There are so many ways to do it: volunteer at a soup kitchen, make blessing bags and distribute them, or buy someone less fortunate lunch or an item of clothing to keep warm.
You can also grab an angel off the giving tree and buy a gift for a child who might not have much of a Christmas without your help.
Act of Kindness
Now is a great time to be a little kinder and teach the kids to be a little kinder too. As a family, do an act of kindness for someone else. It can be simple and small, but it is a great way to spread kindness this holiday season. These acts of kindness can be as simple as:
- Buying the person behind you their food in line
- Leaving a coupon by the item it is for
- Smiling and waving at a neighbor
Make paper snowflakes
It’s not winter without paper snowflakes taped to the windows. Let your kids use their imagination and creativity to make paper snowflakes this winter. They will be in awe at no matter how much they try to make them all look the same they will be uniquely different just like them.
Winter crafts
Winter is the perfect time to create all kinds of winter crafts. Gather your supplies and get crafting with the kids. No matter the age, there is the perfect craft project for your kids.
Go Caroling
If you want to get in the holiday spirit, then go caroling with the family. Bundle up, grab some hot chocolate, and hit the streets singing these Christmas song lyrics with the kids. If you want to go caroling with a couple more families for even more fun.
Visit a Nursing home
This winter bucket list item is a must. My kids are always a little slow to want to go visit the nursing home at first, but the joy on the resident’s faces when we come really brightens their day! We sing with them, help them with puzzles, or play card games with them.
You and your kids will walk away from this experience with smiles on their faces and be asking to go back again soon.
Bake bread
Try your hand at baking bread this winter. Try a quick bread like pumpkin bread or a lemon loaf. Or if you want to try your hand at a yeast bread try cinnamon bread or a loaf of homemade yeast bread.
Family pajama day
Pajama day anyone? A favorite winter activity for my family is always family PJ day! This is the day where we snuggle, watch movies, play games, and just enjoy each other’s company. This I am sure will become a favorite for your family too!
Play board games
Pull out the board games and play them. With Christmas in winter, I am sure that your kids might have gotten a new game or two, so get them out and play them together. Or pull out your family favorites and have a game night. Don’t forget to add some delicious snacks to the mix.
Stargaze
Winter is the perfect time to stargaze. The nights are longer and the skies are clearer. Take the kids outside and see what constellations you can find in the night sky together. If you are really into stargazing go someplace where you can really see the stars. Several National Parks in Utah have some incredible stargazing while visiting.
Set goals for the new year
Now is a great time to set those goals for the new year. Talk as a family about what you accomplished this year and what you are especially proud of. Then talk about goals. Set some family goals and then have each member of the family set some individual goals to try and accomplish in the new year.
Stay up til Midnight
Staying up til midnight is always fun for the kids. Play games, eat snacks, and watch movies and see how many people can stay up til midnight.
This winter bucket list item is perfect since the kids are on winter vacation, so they don’t have to worry about getting up for school for several days.
Take family pictures
Don’t forget to take family pictures this winter. It is always fun to see how much the kids grow from year to year and a family picture is the perfect way to document it! Plus you have the memory you can always look back on.
Learn something new as a family
Learn something new as a family this winter. Try a new skill together that no one has done. Work as a team to figure out the best way to do it. As you learn together as a family you grow together!
There you have it! You winter bucket list items to do as a family! Don’t forget to grab the winter bucket list cards so that you can choose which activity you want to do!
What do you like doing in the winter with your family? Share in the comments!