Five activities to do with your child on cold winter days
Stuck for activities to do with your kids on wintry weekends? We’ve got five ideas for family-friendly activities on cold winter days.
Mid-January can feel like the hardest time of the year. The celebrations of Christmas and New Year are long gone, and the coldest weather is probably still yet to come. And worst of all, you’re running really low on ideas to keep bored kids entertained at weekends (never mind the upcoming spring half term).
The good news is that, with a bit of inspiration you can find plenty of fun activities to do with your kids, on even the most freezing day. And to help give you some inspiration, Elin Swain, from premier nanny agency Nannies Matter is kindly sharing some of her winter activity ideas with us.
Five activities to do with your child on cold winter days
Get ready to strap on your snow boots, dig out the craft box and embark on new family adventures with Elin’s top five suggestions of family activities for you and your children this winter.
1) Go for a winter’s day walk
If cabin fever is hitting and the kids have a seemingly endless supply of energy, wrap them up in their warmest clothes and take them out for a crisp winter walk.
If you need to bribe them, take a flask of hot chocolate for a warm and tasty treat along the way. Or, if you’re feeling brave, take a wintry picnic to your family’s favourite spot.
Them when you’re back, you can all cuddle up in your pyjamas (preferably in front of a roaring fire) and watch your favourite family movie.
2) Paint the snow
Painting the snow is a brilliant, creative activity for kids and grown ups. To paint the snow, simply take a spray bottle, fill it with water and add a splash of food colouring. And voila, you can create snow masterpieces in your back garden!
Prepare a number of bottles each with different colours and inspire your children to create a colourful masterpiece. You can even mix colours to create your own shades.
3) Get crafty
Feel like you’ve exhausted all your indoor options? Why not go back to basics with some simple arts and crafts activities that you and your children can enjoy together?
A really easy activity is to print out a winter scene for your children to colour in. Or you can teach them how to create snowflakes using just a piece of paper and some scissors.
4) Play time in the snow
For many adults, snow is simply an obstacle that prevents you from getting to work. But it doesn’t take much to remember how exciting it was as a child. So embrace the weather and head outside with the kids for some family fun in the snow.
Wrap up warm (layering is key) and spend the afternoon building snowmen, starting snowball fights and sledding – and make it a day your children will remember for years to come.
5) Turn your shed into a log cabin
At first, converting your shed may seem like a big task. But it actually gives you the perfect excuse to clear out any unwanted clutter, making this activity fun and useful!
To turn your shed into a log cabin, simply make enough space for a small table and chairs and decorate the walls with paper snowflakes and decorations that transform the space into a winter wonderland. You could even add leftover Christmas fairy lights for an extra special touch.
This will give your children hours and hours of play time, with the added bonus of a brand new play area for them to enjoy.
Elin Swain is a managing director at Nannies Matter, a leading nanny service with over 15 years of experience in hand-picking quality staff members for families within the home counties of England.
