100 Free Winter Activities for Kids (2024)

This year you can take advantage of this great list of 100 Free Winter Activities for Kidsto keep your kids busy without breaking the bank.

Between holiday breaks and weekends, you’ll be scrambling to find fun things to keep your kids occupied in colder months.

These ideas are free (or mostly free using items you have around the house) and great for kids of all ages to enjoy!

Be sure to check out our other fun family-friendly kid activities and crafts!

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100 Free Winter Activities for Kids

These free winter activitieskids can do are perfect for keeping their days occupied while it is cold and often dreary outside.

Grab a few things you have around the house already, and have a ton of fun during the cooler winter months with your kids.

1. Snow ball fights
2. Snow forts
3. Gather kindling for fires
4. Go snow skiing
5. Go sledding
6. Go ice skating
7. Go ice fishing
8. Do frozen balloon experiments
9. Shovel snow
10. Make snow angels
11. Gather pine cones
12. Look for holly bushes and gather branches for wreaths
13. Learn how to safely build a fire
14. Complete a jigsaw puzzle
15. Read a book
16. Write their own short story
17. Play dress up indoors
18. Play video games on your existing console
19. Make hot cocoa
20. Attend movie night at a local library
21. Play board games
22. Build the perfectindoor fort and “camp”
23. Color in coloring books
24. Play with bubbles (indoors in the bathtub or outdoors)
25. Make friendship bracelets (use embroidery floss, twine or yarn)
26. Learn how to draw (look up Youtube video tutorials or check out books from the library)
27. Visit the local public library– personally one of my favorite things to do
28. Feed the birds (make a bird feeder, or take crackers and bread out for local birds at ponds, your back yard or even the park)
29. Go to the park and play
30. Have sleep overs (or sleep unders) with friends
31. Have a movie marathon day at home
32. Make the perfect chocolate chip cookies
33. Learn how to sew simple items
34. Learn how to crochet or knit
35. Do extra chores around the house for an allowance (you may be able to negotiate for something free like a movie night or favorite meal)
36. Go for nature walks
37. Make homemade Christmas ornaments
38. Play card games like Go Fish, Skip Bo, Uno and Old Maid
39. Visit grandparents or great grandparents
40. Volunteer with you at a local shelter
41. Visit the zoo or a museum — go on Free Days or if you have an annual membership that makes it free
42. Go for a bike ride (when streets are clear of snow)
43. Make snow ice cream
44. Go window shopping (look for potential Christmas gifts or just hang out in the mall)
45. Learn to dance (even kids enjoy ballroom, swing and country line dancing)
46. Make their own Youtube videos
47. Go fishing
48. Learn how to apply makeup (use videos on Youtube)
49. Learn how to braid hair
50. Make homemade candies together (fudge can be a super easy option for kids)
51. Pick up litter around your neighborhood
52. Collect items to recycle
53. Go on a scavenger hunt inside or outside or play nature bingo (check out this free Winter scavenger hunt printable)
54. Make snow paintings with bottles filled with colored water
55. Make a snowman
56. Learn how to snowboard (check with friends and neighbors to see who has equipment to borrow for practice making it totally free)
57. Visit local museums or galleries on free days/nights
58. Go to a local high school or college football game (some are free for students and alumni)
59. Make sun catchers with crayon shavings melted between waxed paper
60. Act out a play (parents, friends, or siblings can be the audience)
61. Visit local landmarks or historical markers
62. Make homemade gifts for friends and family (homemade body butters, body scrubs, decorated candles, crocheted items and more)
63. Write letters to grandparents, relatives, or friends (on paper to be mailed the old fashioned way)
64. Make simple crafts with supplies around the house (paint, use craft sticks and pom poms, etc.)
65. Make a pet rock (paint a rock found in your yard)
66. Donate toys (have them go through their toys and pick items to donate to people in need)
67. Read out loud to their siblings
68. Give each other pedicures
69. Learn the constellations (go outside at night with a smart phone app that tells you the constellations and star gaze)
70. Camp in the back yard (for those areas that aren’t as cold this is a great option)
71. Build a bonfire and roast hot dogs or marshmallows (with adult supervision of course)
72. Go bird watching (there are tons of apps to help identify birds in you region)
73. Start a book club (great for older kids, tweens and teens)
74. Make a cardboard box maze indoors (fun for kids to build, decorate and go through)
75. Do science experiments with things like baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and food coloring (with adult supervision)
76. Have a tea party
77. Make homemade musical instruments (tambourines, maracas, etc.)
78. Make paper snowflakes
79. Go searching for real mistletoe
80. Have a dance party
81. Make a photo calendar for next year
82. Make a homemade gingerbread house
83. Decorate your home for the holidays (let them choose where items go)
84. Make a homemade wind chime with pine cones, acorns, etc. that have been gathered from your yard
85. Go for a walk in your neighborhood
86. Let them use your camera to take pictures around your home and yard of things they like. Then create an online photo album of their images
87. Let them have a karaoke day singing all of their favorite hot songs
88. Visit Santa at the local mall
89. Let them color unique family Christmas cards to send to your friends and family
90. Learn a new sport (soccer, football, basketball, tennis)
91. Finger paint the table with shaving cream (A can of shaving cream on your kitchen table is tons of fun to write notes in, create animals and more with)
92. Build an obstacle course in your yard (running, crawling, jumping and more) or better yet, inside!
93. Go to the beach (even in winter you can walk and find seashells and sea glass)
94. Create a scrapbook (kids can use pictures, stickers and more that you approve of them to use)
95. Make their own puzzle (kids can draw or color on cardboard and then cut into pieces to put back together as a puzzle)
96. Make sock puppets
97. Make homemade play dough
98. Freeze water balloons (peel balloons off the frozen balls and use them for outdoor bowling with the kids)
99. Make a time capsule (and bury it if possible)
100. Have an indoor picnic

Print Out Your FREE List of Free Winter Activities for Kids

Want to keep these on hand during the cooler months? Enjoy this FREE printable of my 100 Free Winter Activities for Kids.

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