20 FREE (or very cheap) winter activities to do with the kids
by Laura Storey
CHRISTMAS CAN BE AN EXPENSIVE TIME FOR MANY, SO HERE’S 20 ACTIVITIES THAT WILL ENGAGE AND ENTERTAIN THE KIDS WHILE KEEPING THE COSTS DOWN.
1. LOOK AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Take a walk around your local area and see which neighbours have gone all out with their festive fun. If you wait until the sun has set you can see the lights and decorations in all their glory.
2. MAKE A WINTER COLLAGE
Take a walk through the woods and get your kids to gather a collection of winter materials, from evergreen leaves, pinecones and twigs. Once home, let them arrange their collection on a piece of card, before sticking everything down with PVA glue.
If you wait until the sun has set you can see the lights and decorations in all their glory.
3. TORCH-LIT WALK
With the evenings getter ever darker this time of year, it may feel too late once work and school are over to get out and about. But kids love getting out in the dark, on a mild night take a torch and head out, let the kids carry the torch and see what they can spot from owls to foxes.
4. LOCAL PARKS
Local parks are great places filled with activities for the kids. Wrap up warm and head outside for an hour or two. Let the kids play on the playground or take a ball and have a go at some family football.
5. VISIT MUSEUMS
If you live close to a city, they probably have a museum or art gallery worth visiting, most are completely free and is a brilliant, educational way to spend an afternoon.
6. LIBRARY
Libraries are free, warm and a great place to nurture a love of reading. Let your child pick out a few books and take a look yourself. Libraries can also run free events, especially over the holidays, take a look at the website or ask inside.
Libraries are free, warm and a great place to nurture a love of reading.
7. STARGAZE
This may seem more like a summer activity, but with the nights drawing in, children won’t need to stay up past their bedtime to see the stars. If you’d like to learn the constellations, borrow a book from the library and see if you can spot them together.
8. PUT UP DECORATIONS
Get the kids involved putting up the decorations for Christmas. This fun family activity also saves you doing everything alone. From decorating the Christmas tree to making paper chains, there’s lots kids can help with.
9. SEND OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS
Just like decorating, there’s no need to do all the Christmas activities alone, if your child can write, get them involved. Relatives will love getting a Christmas message from your child and it saves you a job.
10. WRITE A LETTER TO SANTA
This one is a classic. It’s that time of year when kids love adverts instead of hate them, and you can find them rifling through the Smyths Toys catalogue in search of the perfect Christmas gift from Father Christmas. To ensure the safe arrival of the toys, make sure children have written them down in a handy list, to make sure Santa knows exactly what they want.
11. MAKE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
As well as helping to decorate, kids can make the decorations themselves. A classic is a salt dough decoration. Roll the salt dough with a rolling pin and use biscuit cutters if you have them for the shape. Poke a hole near the top with a pencil so you can thread string to hang it, then place the dough in the oven. Once set you can decorate the dough with paints.
12. DECORATE ROCKS
Collect large pebbles and use paints to decorate them in colourful designs, from bees to hedgehogs. Once dry you can hide the pebbles for another family to find.
13. POTATO STAMPS
Another simple crafty activity, this involves using potatoes as stamps and is really useful for livening up traditional brown wrapping paper. Cut a potato in half and insert a shaped biscuit cutter, then use a knife to cut around the cutter. Hand the kids some paint and the potato stamp and let them stamp to their heart’s content.
14. DENS
When it gets cold outside there’s nothing better than making a den and snuggling up. Use blankets draped across furniture or, for a luxury den, try cardboard boxes. Hang string lights and add pillows and more blankets, then get cosy!
When it gets cold outside there’s nothing better than making a den and snuggling up
15. FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
Now you’ve got your den ready, time for a family movie night, pop that popcorn and choose something on Netflix. The best options are something the whole family will enjoy, whether that’s Elf or Home Alone.
16. DONATE OLD TOYS
With Christmas coming up, it’s likely your child will end up with a deluge of toys from eager relatives. To ease the clutter, start now by helping your child donate unwanted toys to charity.
17. FAMILY DANCE PARTY
It can be easy to forgot about keeping active when it’s freezing outside and even the dog doesn’t fancy a walk,
but its important to keep healthy throughout the Christmas season. For a fun burst of exercise, pop on the best in cheesy Christmas pop and have a family dance party. Points go to the best dancer.
18. INDOOR SNOWBALL FIGHT
Snow is not a certainty in the UK, so while activities like sledging may be off the cards, you can still have a snowball fight right inside your living room. Scrunch up used paper and divide between family members, then – it’s on! Hide behind the couches and see who has the best aim.
19. DISCOVER CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
It’s great for children to learn about other cultures, get on Google and discover Krampus, the evil Austrian version of St Nick who captures naughty children and whisks them away in his sack and learn about Japan’s Christmas tradition of a KFC feast.
20. BAKE CHRISTMAS TREATS
Nothing gets people in the Christmas spirit more than a festive treat. Bake cookies or another sweet treat, perfect for sharing at home or for giving away as a lovely homemade gift.
Craven&ValleyLife Winter 2022
