Outdoor games and fun with children in winter – 10 best winter outdoor games

Childhood memories and sensations are overwhelmed when looking out of the window in the morning, you see falling flakes of snow, powdered, almost fabulous trees and white-white “infinity”.

Immediately you want to dress warmly and, grabbing thick mittens and a bag of carrots, go into a winter fairy tale. True, already as a parent. But even falling into childhood for a short time (especially on the eve of New Year’s holidays) is only beneficial.

The main thing – choose a fun winter game, so that the walk is a joy to both the toddlers and mom and dad.

The best ideas for organizing winter activities with children

So, what to do in the winter with the kids outside while walking?

1. We sculpt from the snow
   And it doesn’t have to be a snowman. Although it is worth noting that snowmen are different: sometimes on a winter street you will encounter such a miracle with a carrot nose that you would like to present a medal to the little sculptor. In the process of snow molding, the main thing is to turn on imagination. And remind the child that snow is the same plasticine, only the figures are more voluminous.
   
   Explain to your child how to fasten snow pieces with water or twigs, what shapes can be made from snow, what size and how much fun it is. Dazzle the whole family with your favorite cartoon child or fairytale character, a family of penguins or forest animals. And you can even arrange a family competition for the best sculpture.
2. A picnic in the middle of winter
   Unusual and interesting. A walk on a winter day in a snow-covered forest (a park is also suitable) will become even more pleasant if you bring along a bag of sweets and a thermos with hot delicious tea.
   
   A table with stools can be made of snow, and even for birds that remain to winter, you can make cup feeders and fill them with bread crumbs or bird food.
3. Looking for treasure
   The difficulty of the game depends on the age of the kids. The treasure itself needs to be bought in the store (toy, lollipop, mini-chocolate, etc.), packed in a waterproof container and, of course, buried (and remember where it was buried). The optimal place for burial is the courtyard of your own summer cottage or the forest. Then we draw a treasure map and give it to the child.
   
   You can come up with tips, both for the development of erudition, and simply funny or for the benefit of the body – “hot and cold”, make a snow angel, three steps to the right and one forward, etc. For older children, the search plan can be complicated to a real snow quest …
4. Making ice decorations
   This kind of entertainment will be most appropriate in the country, where you have your own Christmas tree, and no one will interfere with the creative process. We tint the water with paints, pour it into different-sized molds, add tinsel, spruce twigs, berries, cones, etc.
   
   And do not forget to lower both ends of the rope into the water, so that “at the exit” you get a loop on which the ice toy hangs. With these toys we decorate our own or a forest Christmas tree.
5. Snow painter
   We’ll need water and a few colors of food coloring. We breed in advance, we take buckets with us outside. You can spray paints on the snow and then mold something colorful and original out of it (already colored). Or sprinkle already finished figures. Or just paint a picture right in the snow.
   
   A series of multi-colored snowmen or a snow “panel” (using a spray gun) will look great in your winter garden and even on the playground. Show your child how to mix paints as well. For example, orange will come out of red and yellow, green will come out of blue and yellow, and brown will come out of green and red.
6. Ice mosaic
   The principle is the same – we freeze tinted water in a wide shallow dish and then create a mosaic from it on the street. The easiest way is to use plastic plates – they are inexpensive, and it is not a pity to throw them away.
   
7. Winter shooting range
   Playing snowballs is always fun and dynamic, but the risk of injury has not been canceled. Those parents who absolutely do not want to cover up the “lights” under the eyes of their children can direct the burst of snow machine guns in the right direction. We hang a board with marked points on a tree in a large format and – go ahead!
   
   Whoever scores the most – receives a prize for accuracy (for example, a chocolate bar, which still needs to be found on the treasure map).
8. Winter fortress
   Many are familiar with this fun. Today’s mothers and fathers once selflessly built such fortresses on playgrounds and parks, armed with cardboard shields, firing back from “enemies” and food with pleasure. The fortress may even have tunnels and balconies – not without the help of adults, of course. And after the “truce” and mutual shelling, you can arrange a tea party on the fortress balcony, taking cups and a thermos with tea from home in advance.
   
   Your fortress will be the strongest if you build it from large balls and fasten it, pressing it, with the help of water. As for the labyrinths and tunnels, it is better to dig them in the snow (tamping from the inside) after the thickness of the snowdrifts reaches more than 50 cm.For kids, 15 cm is enough: of course, it will not be possible to climb inside (too early and dangerous), but to roll the ball – easily.
9. Snow hut
   Dry snow is not suitable for this activity. Only wet, which molds well and is abundant. The point of the game is to build a house that you can crawl into.
   
   Outside its walls, you can paint the same tinted water or even invent your own family coat of arms. You can build a smaller hut nearby – for a toy, for example.
10. Children’s Winter Olympiad
    We buy chocolate medals, print diplomas on a printer, attract children from 5 years old to competitions and divide them into teams. Competitions depend on children’s capabilities and your imagination. For example, to clear the path with a shovel from “this tree” and “who is next” for a certain period of time, throw snowballs at the target, arrange an obstacle course, build snowmen for speed, etc.
    
    Just remember – there should be prizes for the losers too! Let the chocolate medals for the winners be in a gold wrapper (1st place), for the loser – in a silver one. No one is particularly offended, and the winners are marked.

See also: The best ideas for winter activities in winter – what to do in winter at home for adults?

You can also dazzle with children. real snow lanternby placing an LED lamp inside the snowball cone.

Or make ice ballsby inflating them through a straw of colored water right on the street (the temperature is not higher than minus 7 degrees).

And you can arrange sled race (in the role of a navigator – a child, in the role of a passenger – a toy), or to introduce a child to lost mittenmaking her face with threads and buttons.

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And this, of course, is not all entertainment in the middle of winter. Just remember that you were a child too, and then fantasy will do its job.

Happy New Year!