Winter is the perfect season for kids to explore outdoors so wrap up warm, grab your wellie boots & discover all this wonderful season has to offer. Here are 50 Outdoor Activities to get you started.
1. Explore an outdoor Snow Kitchen
3. Go sledding! If you have no snow take your sledge for a slide on some frosty grass or mud!
4. Collect some sticks & clay & sculpt some unique creations outdoors.
5. Create some large outdoor art with pastels & tree branches.
7. Make a snow cave for a favourite toy
8. Explore animal footprints & tracks in the snow/mud. Can you discover which animal made the prints? If you can't find any prints why not take your toys outdoors & explore the tracks & patterns they leave in the snow.
9. Make a wreath with natural materials.
10. Brighten up an early evening with some outdoor play in your backyard with torches!
12. Make a simple ice lantern by filling a shallow bowl with water. Add leaves, berries or herbs & float a couple of tea light candles on the top. Freeze outdoors if cold enough, or in your freezer, then light your ice lantern outdoors in the evening.
13. Splash in muddy puddles or scrunch through icy puddles with your wellie boots.
15. Make patterns with your footprints on frosty grass.
16. Paint big pictures & patterns in the snow with squeezy bottles & paint.
17. Freeze small toys in a dish of water outside. How can you get them out? Experiment by adding a little salt or water.
18. Go on a hunt for spiderwebs, what do they look like in the frost or snow?
19. Make a snow angel!
20. Plant a tree. Visit the Woodland Trust to find out more.
21. Make a winter home with sticks, leaves, moss etc for small winter mammals such as field mice or voles. Turn it into a feeding station by adding a few nuts, seeds, berries or porridge oats.
22. Collect pine cones on a winter walk & take them home to paint.
23. Build a snowman or snow sculpture.
24. Design a trail, maze, or pattern in the snow/mud with sticks.
25. Make an instant mini winter forest using branches from evergreens. Perfect for any friendly fairies or elves living in your backyard.
26. Make small fire with your family & toast marshmallows on sticks.
27. Go star gazing one evening, can you find the brightest star?
28. Turn yourself into a giant by borrowing a pair of adult wellie boots to stomp around in outdoors. How big will your footprints be, how fast can you move in them?
29. Explore coloured ice. If you leave food colouring & water in an ice tray overnight outside does it turn to ice? Why/why not?
30. Make a café for the birds in your neighbourhood.
31. Wrap up in windproof & waterproof clothing & go on a beach walk.
32. Make an outdoor winter fairy garden
33. Catch snowflakes on your tongue.
34. Thread beads & buttons onto ribbons outdoors & use them to decorate a nearby tree.
35. Build an igloo
36. Make a shelter or winter den with tree branches & sticks
37. Make ice decorations to brighten up your backyard.
39. Play with toy trucks, diggers & sandpit toys outside in the snow.
40. Explore outdoors in the rain! Here are 20 rainy day play ideas.
41. Build a birdhouse. Here are a few suggestions for nest boxes from The British Trust for Ornithology.
42. Create a garland or frame from natural materials.
43. Play outdoors on a windy winter day with these 10 activities.
44. Get gardening & plant some bulbs ready for Spring.
45. Make a winter obstacle course with lots of things to jump over, crawl under & run between. If you have plenty of snow why not use it to build the obstacles.
46. Challenge friends to a snowball competition. Who can throw the furthest, or who can make the biggest snowball?
47. Go on a sound hunt! What does Winter sound like where you are?
49. Build a snow castle! Or if you have no snow build an outdoor castle with plastic building blocks.
50. Go on a woodland walk with a friend & discover a winter wonderland.
Whatever the weather is like with you this season I hope you're enjoying many
happy outdoor adventures together.