Winter is here! That means it’s time for things like ice skating, sledding, skiing, and our favorite… making hot chocolate! Even with all of these activities, your kids are sure to have some free time during their break from school. To fill the time and keep your kiddos entertained, we’ve got some fun winter activities for kids that may have slipped your mind. Below we’ve got the steps for teaching kids how to wrap a gift, how to make DIY sensory bottles, and how to build a snowman.
Table of Contents
Fun Winter Activities for Kids | Learn How to Wrap a Gift
Gift wrapping is an essential skill that your kiddo will use throughout their life. Once kids know how to properly wrap gifts, they can help parents out and take on some more responsibility during the holiday season. Wrapping gifts require specific movements to fold the paper, cut and place the tape and trim the excess paper. These little movements can be a great way for children to develop fine motor skills.
It may take some trial and error before kids can properly wrap gifts but it’s a great practice! Mastering gift wrapping will give them a sense of accomplishment as they learn that they can accomplish things independently. Children may get discouraged when their first wrapping experience isn’t perfect, so remember to stay positive and encouraging while they improve! Once they grasp gift wrapping, you can let them wrap presents for friends or family’s birthday presents too! Let’s get wrapping!
See on Instagram
Read more: Sensory Activities for Kids: How to Make a Turkey Handprint
Supplies
To wrap your gifts you’ll need:
- Wrapping paper
- Your gift
- Scissors & tape
- Bow
Steps
- Cut enough wrapping paper to cover your gift.
- Fold the paper around the gift and secure it with one piece of tape.
- Cut the excess paper off the sides.
- Crease the sides of the paper inward along your gift.
- Fold the flaps over to cover the gift.
- Use one piece of tape to secure the sides.
- Add a bow and a to-from sticker.
Winter Activities for Kids | How To Make Snowflake Sensory Bottles
As you already know, crafts with glitter can get pretty messy. This sensory snowflake bottle winter activity is no exception. It can be helpful to put a cheap tablecloth over whatever surface you’ll be making this craft on. When putting the glitter and sequins into the sensory bottle, try making a funnel by folding a piece of paper and taping it to fit into the bottle. This will help prevent any glitter spills and make for easier cleanup.
Sensory bottles are great for kids with autism or any sensory processing condition. They captivate the senses and provide a calming sensory experience and promote relaxation. The glitter and sequins move in slow motion through the bottle, which captures the attention of children to block out any unwarranted stimuli that may cause them stress.
Making DIY sensory bottles is a great hands-on exercise that can also help kids develop fine motor skills. With parental supervision, this sensory play is a safe and fun way for kids to explore different textures and the world around them. Let’s start crafting!
Supplies
To make your snowflake sensory bottle, you’ll need:
- Clear glue
- Clear bottle
- Plastic snowflakes
- Glitter & blue sequins
- Water
Steps
- Pour the glue into a clean and clear water bottle
- Add your glitter and sequins
- Fill the bottle with water
- Secure the lid with glue or tape
- Shake the bottle
Read more: Kids Pumpkin Carving Visual Schedule (with Printable Faces)
Fun Outdoor Winter Activities | How to Build a Snowman for Kids
Do you wanna build a snowman? If you’re in an area that gets snow during the winter, building a snowman can be a great outdoor winter activity for kids. This is another fun way for kids to explore the world around them, use their imagination, and develop their fine motor skills. We all know what the typical three-tiered snowman looks like, but this is when you should encourage your child to be creative!
They may want to try and build their favorite character from a TV show or their favorite animal. This guide for how to build a snowman is pretty basic so you can adjust them for whatever your kiddo wants to build. We recommend using easily accessible supplies to give the snowman its features. The usual carrot for a nose or sticks for arms can be substituted with other things to make your child’s snow sculpture unique to their personality. Be sure to bundle up, this could take a while! Let’s make a snowman!
SPONSORED BY: Goally
Goally’s Kid’s Tablet has one of the largest libraries of skill-building videos (like “How to Share” and “What To Do When You’re Lost”) in the Goal Mine app.👇
Supplies
- Snow;)
- Pebbles and charcoal
- Carrot
- Sticks
- Hat and scarf
Winter Activities for Kids | Steps
- Pack a snowball with your hands for the bottom section.
- Roll the ball along the ground until it’s large.
- Pack a snowball with your hands for the middle section.
- Roll the ball along the ground until it’s medium-sized.
- Lift the middle section onto the bottom section.
- Pack a snowball with your hands for the top section.
- Roll the ball along the ground until it’s smaller than the middle section.
- Lift the top section onto the middle section.
- Use buttons, pebbles, or charcoal for eyes.
- Make a mouth with a row of pebbles or charcoal.
- Add a carrot for the nose.
- Add two sticks for the arms.
- Top off the snowman with a hat and scarf.
This post was originally published on 12/20/2022. It was updated on 09/01/2023.
Goally
We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.
