"The first day of winter break is always exciting… for my kids. They empty their backpacks of holiday craft projects, homemade holiday gifts, and inevitably some crumbled Goldfish crackers or leftover lunch items. I know they need a break from school as much as I need a break from work. But winter break means more than two weeks of family togetherness. And especially once the holidays pass, winter break can start to feel endless. So, like many parents, I find myself in search of fun winter break activities because I can only hear, “I’m bored,” so many times.
If you are wondering what to do on winter break with an active toddler home from daycare, a preschooler seeking entertainment, or a bored elementary schooler who is used to a structured day—this list of winter break activities is for you! From free winter break activities to creative pursuits to winter outings, you’ll find 99 things for your kids to do this winter break. Keep scrolling for inspiration to keep them engaged—and maybe even learning—this winter break.
Free Winter Break Activities
1. Make a family travel bucket list.
2. Choose your family’s word of the year.
3. Create a family vision board for the new year.
4. Have a themed movie marathon.
5. Try indoor camping in the living room.
6. Clean and organize your kid’s closets together.
7. Make a donation pile of toys and clothes.
8. Set family New Year’s resolutions.
9. Watch a NYE countdown on December 31.
10. Have a pajama day with breakfast for dinner.
11. Get cozy on the couch and have family read-a-thon.
12. Freeze small toys in ice cubes and let toddlers “rescue” them using warm water.
13. Create an indoor obstacle course.
14. Build a blanket fort.
15. Have a “screen-free” day for a family digital detox.
16. Reflect on and share gratitude for the past year.
17. Bring snow inside to create a winter sensory bin.
18. Take a drive to look at the outdoor holiday lights.
19. Let little ones go wild with markers or crayons to decorate a large shipping box.
20. Play “would you rather” or other conversation games.
21. Host a family game night with your favorite board games.
22. Have a no-spend “yes day.”
23. Let them choose their favorite photos and save them to a highlight album on your phone.
24. Create your family’s year in review video—then AirPlay it on your TV to look back over the year.
25. Play “try not to laugh” and see who breaks first.
26. Play charades.
27. Host an open-mike stand-up night (try these jokes for kids!).
28. Create a playlist of favorite family songs.
29. Learn and film a trending dance (great for older kids and tweens!).
30. Host a sleepunder with your kids’ besties.
31. Let your Sephora tween do your hair and makeup—or let your toddler give you a makeover.
32. Create an “I’m bored” jar where they have to add money every time they say, “I’m bored.”
Outdoor Winter Family Activity Ideas
33. Go skiing or snowboarding.
34. Go ice skating indoors or outdoors.
35. Go sledding or tubing at a nearby hill.
36. Make a snowman family.
37. Paint with snow by adding food coloring to spray bottles.
38. Seek out a local outdoor festival, Christmas market, or winter walk.
39. Take a snowy hike and look for animal footprints.
40. Watch the sunset together.
41. Go stargazing wrapped up in blankets (it gets dark so early in the winter!).
42. Bundle up and make s’mores around an outdoor campfire.
Winter Break Family Outings
43. See a new movie in theaters like Mufasa, Moana 2, or Wicked.
44. Visit an indoor waterpark.
45. Take a weekend road trip if weather allows.
46. Visit a local zoo or aquarium.
47. Go to an indoor trampoline park.
48. Spend the day at an arcade or bowling alley.
49. Watch a live theater performance.
50. Try an escape room.
51. Take a train ride through scenic winter landscapes.
52. Visit an indoor botanical garden.
Creative Winter Break Activities
53. Make a homemade gift for their grandparents.
54. Let toddlers paint the bathtub (then wash them and the tub afterwards).
55. Make bird feeders from recycled materials.
56. Forage for items to create a nature-themed craft.
57. Get ahead of 2025 to-dos by making homemade Valentines.
58. Create a time capsule to open in the future.
59. Make fake snow with baking soda and hair conditioner.
60. Make slime with glue and contact solution (and here’s how to get slime out of clothes!).
61. Make handprint or footprint art.
62. Make a toilet paper roll craft.
63. Cut out paper snowflakes.
64. Create your own holiday garland.
65. Make a flip book.
66. Shoot and edit a stop-motion video.
67. Host a mini talent show.
68. Write a movie script and film it.
Winter Break Learning Experiences
69. Sign kids up for a unique day camp based on their interests, like comic book-making, tumbling, or helping at the Humane Society.
70. Visit a museum or science center.
71. Go to a planetarium.
72. Check out a library event.
73. Do a history project on your town.
74. Chart the family tree.
75. Cook recipes from different countries.
76. Bake a family recipe together.
77. Explore coding with kid-friendly apps.
78. Watch educational documentaries (NatGeo on Disney+ has great options!).
79. Solve riddles or brain teasers together.
80. Practice a new language together with Duolingo (it’s free and fun for kids!).
81. Try an at-home science experiment.
82. Build a town with LEGOs.
Community Engagement
83. Collect items to donate to a food pantry.
84. Donate books the kids have outgrown to the library.
85. Create care packages for neighbors.
86. Write letters to soldiers.
87. Deliver cards to nursing home residents.
88. Shovel sidewalks for your neighbors.
89. Host a hot chocolate stand for charity.
90. Participate in a holiday run/walk event.
Relaxing Winter Break Activities
91. Practice horizontal parenting with these ideas.
92. Make DIY face masks for a family spa day.
93. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts together.
94. Write thank-you notes together for holiday gifts.
95. Have a mindfulness or yoga session.
96. Write in journals about favorite moments from the previous year.
97. Do puzzles together as a family.
98. Have family nap time.
99. Put on a low-stimulation show for your toddler and enjoy a moment of calm.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
A mom of two, Kathy is passionately committed to sharing the honest, helpful—and often humorous—stories of motherhood, as she navigates her own everyday adventures of work, marriage, and parenting. She honed her creative and strategic skills at advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago, before pivoting from marketing to editorial. Now instead of telling brand stories, she’s sharing her own, with articles published across popular parenting sites—including hundreds of stories on The Everymom.