The best winter activities for toddlers so you are not stuck wondering what to do.
Cold weather is not a reason for your fun play to come to an end with your toddler. There are plenty of winter activities that you can do to keep your child entertained and exploring!
I put together a list of 11 winter activities for toddlers including indoor and outdoor play as well as crafts and sensory activity ideas for toddlers that you can try.
As long as you have a plan or a list of activities to choose from, you can continue to have fun playing all winter long!
1. Play Outside
As a New England mom, we go outside year round. Unless it’s really cold, going outside during the winter is doable – at least in my opinion.
Just make sure you dress your toddler appropriately with a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm shoes. And if it’s snowing, snow pants and snow boots too!
One of my favorite things to do with my kids is go for a walk. I put them in our double stroller with a snack and we are on our way. It uses up almost an hour of non napping time and gets us all fresh air which is a win win.
Other ideas for outdoor play include:
- Riding a bike, scooter or tricycle
- Swinging
- Going to a playground
- Sledding, making snow angels or snowball fights if there is snow.
2. Bake or Cook Together
One of my favorite winter activities to do with my kids during the winter is baking!
Toddlers usually love helping to dump the ingredients in, stir it up and watch it bake in the oven. Plus, if you have a picky eater, this can be a good way to get them more interested in trying something new!
From cookies to dinner, you can prepare anything you want with your toddler. Try these yogurt muffins from one of my favorite food bloggers if you are looking for something easy and delicious!
3. Do A Puzzle
My three year old is puzzle obsessed right now and I love it.
This is one of my favorite winter activities for toddlers. Puzzles help kids develop memory skills as well as plan, test and solve problems. They require you to remember shapes, colors, positions and strategies to complete them.
If your toddler is new to puzzles, I suggest you start with these puzzles first. Then you can move on to bigger floor puzzles with 24 to 48 pieces.
4. Play Games
Whether you have a young toddler or older toddler, there are games out there tailored to his or her age.
Just like puzzles, playing games is a great way to help your child develop important skills. At this age, learning happens through play!
Board games can help:
- Enhance sorting abilities
- Improve strategic thinking abilities and problem solving skills
- Foster hand-eye coordination
- Improve fine motor skills
- Promote numerical proficiency
- Improve visual recognition skills
- Enhance color recognition abilities
- Improve social skills (if playing a multiplayer game)
Some of my favorites games include memory games, Chutes and Ladders, Red Light, Green Light, and Connect 4.
5. Sensory Activities
Toddler sensory play is an important part of your little one’s development and it is usually a lot of fun for your toddler too. Plus it’s perfect when you are stuck inside and looking for winter activities for toddlers.
- Sensory Bin – Step by step instruction on how to easily put together toddler sensory activities right at home with only a few items.
- Kinetic Sand – You can get so creative with how you use this
- Bring snow inside and put it in a bin – Take out bowls, cups and utensils and let your toddler have endless fun while staying warm inside!
6. Paint
My toddler is obsessed with painting year round. I swear some days he wakes up and that is the first thing he asks to do.
If you are worried about mess, watercolor painting is a really easy option. Paint sticks are also a great option for an in between of painting and crayons.
I also love letting my toddler go crazy with real paint. We roll out a sheet of white paper and he can paint whatever he likes.
I also really love the seasonal wooden crafts from Target. They are usually really cheap, come with all the supplies including paint and are a lot of fun.
Having these types of supplies on hand is great. You can pull them out on a day where
7. Pretend Play
This type of winter indoor activity is one of my favorites!
Pretend play is actually a really important part of your child’s development. It plays a role in improving language, social and emotional skills, creativity and problem solving.
Examples of indoor pretend play include:
- Making food with play kitchen, grill, etc
- Grocery shopping in your pantry
- Tea party with stuffed animals
- Dress up and role play
- Feeding a doll
- Mimicking household chores (sweeping, dusting, mopping)
- Turning an object into something creative (cardboard box becomes a boat)
8. Have An Indoor Picnic
Let’s face it, winter days can feel 10x longer than summer days.
An indoor picnic is perfect if the weather is keeping you inside or you just don’t feel like leaving the house.
Lay a blanket down, sit down with your child and enjoy a meal or snack. I promise you your toddler will think it’s so much fun! You can even have stuffed animals join the picnic too!
9. Watch A Movie
There is so much talk out there about the pros and cons of screen time. But ultimately it is up to you to decide how much or little tv your toddler watches.
My family likes to use screen time to our advantage, especially once we had a second baby.
For example, a movie or tv show is perfect when the baby is napping and I want to sit down and take a break. When my toddler has played with every toy in the house and needs a break himself. When it’s snowing out and we can’t go outside. And other times, watching a movie with my son is a great bonding activity.
No matter what anyone around you says, drop the guilt associated with screen time and do what works best for you. Especially in the winter!
10. Go To The Library
The library is a great winter activity for toddlers that is indoors. Honestly it is perfect for any season in my opinion!
Not only can you borrow books for free but it is a great opportunity for your toddler to learn about taking care of books and returning them. Plus, many libraries have play spaces too.
You can also sign up for a free, weekly story hour at the library too which makes this one of the best winter activities for toddlers!
11. Go To A Play Space or Trampoline Park
There are so many play spaces popping up and let me tell you they are fun! There are usually a variety of toys and activities for toddlers to play with. Plus, you can make it even more fun by meeting a friend there.
Trampoline parks are also a lot of fun but can be overwhelming if there are a lot of people there. I suggest looking for specific toddler time to help make your toddler more comfortable.
This post was all about winter activities for toddlers.