The 5 Best Indoor and Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids

Wintry weather has arrived but that doesn’t mean all the fun and learning has to move strictly indoors. Here at Port Discovery, we see opportunities for activities that take the fun and learning outside, as well as in the living room! Here are some ideas we love for kids and their caregivers to dive into this winter.

Build A Fort!

Fort building works as an outdoor or indoor activity that taps creative and problem-solving skills. Inside, gather blankets and other materials to drape or construct a cozy hideout. Outside, if it’s a snowy day, your fort building materials are all around you! Or gather branches, broomsticks or other materials to create your wintry fortress.

Catch Some Sun!

Wintertime means shorter days and less sun, so these crafts help you make the most of what we have! Inside, gather popsicle sticks, parchment paper, glue, and left-over tissue paper from gifts to construct a simple and easy stained-glass creation that can be hung in a window. Outside, gather berries, small leaves or branches and whatever else you find, a plastic bowl or sturdy plastic plate, and water. Arrange your findings in your bowl or plate, fill with water, and overnight you will have a frozen disc to hold up to the light and enjoy!

Work Out!

Cold outside doesn’t have to bring physical activity and exercise to a standstill, even when you’re inside. Get your blood flowing and warm up outside with jumping jacks, running in place, stretches, even a wintry walk. Inside, you can do the same, adding in some yoga!

Ice Excavation!

Finally, take on an activity at home that we’ve brought to you here at Port Discovery—ice excavation! This can be done indoors or outside. Select toys and freeze them in ice trays overnight. The next day, work on extracting your figures from their frozen cubes while you’re inside or outside.

Read Together!

Some winter activities really are best inside. Don’t forget to cuddle up together with a book for reading activities, even if it’s just turning the pages and talking through a story. We always recommend these winter favorites:

  • “The Snowy Day” by Jack Ezra Keats
  • “I Definitely Don’t Like Winter” by Finona Barker and Christine Pym
  • “Winter Dance” by Marion Dane Baue
  • “The Little Snow Plow” by Lora Koehler
  • “Snow” by Uri Sheulevistz

Stay warm!