When the outside air gets cold and the temperature starts to drop, it can be a challenge to find family activities that are fun for everyone in your household. But what appears like a challenge at first is actually a unique opportunity to bring your family together and engage in new, novel activities. Roughly 62% of people report feeling grateful for their children and family, and winter is a great season to spend valuable time with family members. Although it may seem like there is a shortage of family activities in the colder months, you just have to look around and get imaginative. While not every residential community hosts events for the whole neighborhood, you might be surprised at just how fast you can fill up your winter calendar by trying out some of these fun family activities.
Swimming Lessons
If your child wants to take up an activity this winter, you don’t have to wait for the warmer months to start with swimming lessons. In fact, many beginner swim lessons are often held in indoor pools. Indoor pools are a great option because you don’t have to worry about the cold! Winter is also a great time to learn how to swim because your family will be prepared to hit outdoor pools once summer rolls back around. In addition to being a valuable athletic skill, swimming is also one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise. When it comes to finding family activities that balance fun and physical activity, swimming is perhaps one of the best options out there.
At-Home Jewelry Crafting
Creating custom jewelry is a lot simpler than you might think. While crafting is a part of almost every early childhood education program, can you really ever be too creative at home? Reinforcing creative activities in the household is an excellent way to promote an interest in the arts for children of all ages. It’s also nice to know that you certainly don’t need an art school degree to create a piece of jewelry. Just diving in and exercising your creativity is one of the best ways to promote the type of family activities that encourage play, ingenuity, and exploration.
While crafting a piece of jewelry doesn’t have to go any further than your living room, it’s nice to know that there are ways you can sell your own homemade jewelry too. Of course, you don’t have to turn your craft sessions into a full-fledged business, but with a little research and work you just might find that there is some value to be in had learning how to sell your custom jewelry online or at local craft shows and fairs. This can also be a great learning experience for younger people in your family who might be interested in entrepreneurship and commerce.
Science Museum Field Trip
When it’s cold outside, it’s important to give your kids the tools they need to have fun and learn while staying cozy. Why not take a trip to your local science museum? Museums are great because they acknowledge the fact that so many families are looking for fun things to do that keep them warm and insulated. As a result, many science museums offer unique winter programs. Whether your family is interested in learning about wildlife, physics, or astronomy, science museums have something for everyone, making them one of the best family activities for the winter season.
While science museums are a great starting point, don’t feel limited by museums that have one theme. There are plenty of great museums that focus more on art, history, and culture, too. You may even want to plan a few different museum field trips to a variety of museums so you can compare the pros and cons of each different location. You should also make it a point to visit a planetarium show at some point, as they are a unique form of education and entertainment that are hard to find outside of a museum environment.
Check Your Local Library for Events
In today’s world, libraries lots of different recreational services. Your local library has far, far more than just books. In fact, most local libraries offer fun family activities almost every night of the week. You can find everything from free movie nights to interactive hands-on workshops and author talks by checking out the event offerings at your local library. Of course, more traditional library services such as book lending, book clubs, and story time are also a great way to pass the time and engage in your local literary community throughout the winter months. Stop in at your local library to find a calendar of events or check online and get the most recent updates sent directly to your email.
Start a Family Game Night
Game nights are a great way to strengthen the social fabric of your family. Whether you stick to a casual night of board games, or a more competitive environment of skill-based games, having a regular weekly game night is an excellent way to bring the whole family together. As a fun idea, you could also have a different member of the family select the games to be played for the upcoming week. This way, you can be sure that everyone gets an equal say in contributing to the weekly event.
Give a Cooking Lesson
Cooking is a great way to spend a cold winter day indoors. Whether you’ve just invested in a kitchen remodel or not, teaching your kids the joy of cooking can be both fun and educational for the whole family. You might find that culinary exercises present the perfect opportunity to pass on your heritage and tradition in the form of a classic family recipe. Alternatively, you can always explore new dishes and techniques by doing a simple search for fun recipe ideas online. Working your way through a new cookbook is also a great method for mixing things up in the kitchen.
Organize your Home and Donate Old Items
Those cold days when you don’t feel like going outside present the ideal chance to get some much-needed cleaning and organizing done around the house. You’ll feel much better when you finally get around to cleaning out that old closet or organizing the office that’s full of clutter. You can donate old toys and make room for new ones, such as Premiere Disney dolls.
As an added activity, in the process of cleaning you and your family will probably find that you have a lot of things lying around the house that don’t get much use. This is an excellent way to participate in the season of giving and rounding up your old, unused items to donate. Dishware, old clothes, toys, and electronics all make for excellent donation items to a local charity, thrift store, or other charitable foundation. If you have young children around, this is one of those family activities that also provides a great learning opportunity. By having your kids go through the process of organizing their donations, packing them up, and taking them to a local organization, they see, firsthand, the value in giving to those in need.
Build a Computer Together as a Family
Building a computer is one of the most exciting family activities for anyone who is tech-savvy. Even for those who might be technologically illiterate, building a computer can be an enriching process of doing research and applying what you learn to create lasting projects. Delving into the world of computer accessories and putting all of them together can be an extremely rewarding project for the whole family to get in on. In fact, learning these skills could even lead to the development of more technical and profitable skill sets, such as soldering, circuitry, and programming. The possibilities are endless!
Learn About Your Genealogy and Family History
With today’s numerous modern techniques and technology, there are more ways than ever before to delve into your family’s history and ancestral origins. Sure, you can hire the services of a professional genealogist, but depending on your family it may not even be necessary to go to such lengths. Online research tools offer a plethora of ancestral information on everything from countries of origin to birth dates and public marriage records of past relatives. Researching your family origins is a great way to improve distant familial ties and learn about where you and your family came from.
Build a Terrarium
Many people find that the winter months can get quite dreary with fewer hours of sunlight and the vibrancy of green plant life diminished in the wake of cold temperatures, snow, and ice. Bringing some nature into your home by creating a terrarium is a wonderful way to revivify your family’s day to day life during the season. Building terrariums together is a great family activity because terrariums themselves can be made quite affordably and they allow for a wide range of creative implementations. For a fun bonus challenge, see if every member of the family can create a terrarium that expresses their unique personality or tells a story in the form of a landscape. Terrarium supplies can be found quite easily with a simple search online, and ordering materials in bulk will save you time and money!
Go Ice Skating!
Ice skating is one of those family activities that is special because it’s something you’re not able to do throughout the rest of the year. It’s also fun because anyone can do it, young or old, tall or short. There is a learning curve to becoming an expert ice skater, but you’ll find that a few minutes out on the ice will lead to comfort and fun on your skates.
While a lot of ice skating locations are indoors at event centers of hockey arenas, it’s worthwhile to check your local area for outdoor ice skating areas. More and more towns and cities are creating temporary ice skating rinks to coincide with popular winter holidays. Ice skating is a great way to get some exercise in while also bonding as a family and learning a new tactile skill set!
Learn a New Language
Despite what you may think, it’s never too late to start learning a new language. Whether your interest lies in French, Spanish, Italian, or any other foreign language, winter is a perfect time to devote yourself to taking on a new language. There are many benefits to speaking more than one language. Everything from easier travel to increased cultural awareness can be had by teaching you and your family a new language. Because children typically have an even easier time learning new languages, this is one of those family activities that’s sure to please everyone. You can even test each other as the weeks and months go on!
Get Outside!
One of the best ways to make the most of winter is to get outside and enjoy the unique charms of the season. Even if it may seem too cold at first, you’ll often find that being outside in winter is not so bad, especially when you choose the right family activities. If your family really loves getting out in the cold weather, consider going out for a snowmobiling day. Snowboarding, skiing, and sledding are also excellent ways to enjoy the local trails and outdoor parks in your area.
If you’re interested in sledding, often looking around for a local park is an easy way to find the right sledding hills. You can also find a wide variety of hill types and sizes in most public parks that allow sledding. This is good if you have some members of your family that are wary of flying down a hill that is too large or overwhelming. Regardless of what type of outdoor activity you choose, just staying active is an incredibly helpful way to fight off the winter blues. Plus, who doesn’t love a mug full of hot chocolate after a long day playing out in the snow?
As you can see, winter does not mean you have to do the same things day after day. With a little creativity and a willingness to try new things, you’ll find that there are plenty of fun family activities that have something to offer every member of your family this upcoming winter season.