30 Fun and Cheap Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids without snow
30 Fun and Cheap Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids without snow
In the Winter, kids do get cooped up and you need fun and cheap ways to get the kids outdoors and ideas for fun winter activities. Don’t you find parenting easier outdoors? Well, I find it easier in a wide open outdoor space where you can let the kids go wild and feral and run off their energy in the fresh air! If things are getting fraught inside during cold weather and the kids have cabin fever – getting the whole family outside for some outdoor play is a must for us! And if you need some extra convincing, check out these awesome benefits of outdoor adventures for kids!
Getting outside during winter is perfect for blowing away the hibernating cobwebs too and on cold days you’ll find a nature winter wonderland outdoors to explore! I wrote this list of Fun Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids to do in Winter because it’s so tricky to think up ideas for getting the kids outdoors. Often if I go googling (or as my kids say – go and ‘search it up’) for fun outdoor winter activities for kids – they all revolve around snow! And sadly (so very sadly) we rarely have snow here in January and we most certainly can’t rely on it! So here are our favourite outdoor winter things to do and fun ideas that don’t revolve around snow and are a good idea at this time of year!
Fun outdoor Winter Activities
The best thing about outdoor activities in winter weather is that you can have a great time out in the winter fun and then head inside for a hot cocoa or hot chocolate afterwards to warm up! So embrace winter with these fun things to do outside with little kids and older ones too.
Here’s a list of fun outdoor activities for the holiday season and winter season. You can do all of the activities in a garden or a local wood or park. Most of them will need no preparation and will be free and you’ll be able to do them with or without any snow! (Although I’m secretly hoping for some snow – wouldn’t it be wonderful?)
List of outdoor winter activities for kids
All of the Fun and Cheap Outdoor Winter Activities are for kids of all ages – they’ll be something for everyone, ideas for older kids and great ideas for younger kids too – some simple activities along with some more exciting and adventurous ideas too. If you’d like to join in our Wild about Winter challenge, hop along to our Facebook Group Wildhood Adventures. We’ll be sharing an idea a day over there, simply click the button to join below. There will be daily posts with full details of each activity in the group. It’s a great way to get some new ideas You’ll also be able to meet other like-minded outdoorsy families and share tips and ideas for wild adventures and kids having fun outdoors.
Nature Walk
Try a Nature Walk with this winter Nature Scavenger Hunt and have it’s the perfect time for a Winter Picnic! If you enjoy this you might like our ideas for starting a nature journal with kids. Try our outdoor hiking ideas for kids if you need more ideas!
Make a Bird Feeder
Help the birds this winter and enjoy . See all our quick and easy DIY Bird Feeders you can make with kids in the cold winter months. These are a fun activity to do inside at this time of year too to hang in your own backyard! And if you don’t have a garden you can use these in your local park too!
Winter Art Activities
These art projects are a fun way to get kids excited about venturing outside:
- Try bark rubbings with crayons.
- Use natural elements like sticks, mud, moss and leaves to build a bug house
- Make Mud Potions – see all our mud play ideas here – creative ways to get kids outside during winter
- Make Exploding mud potions
- Make a leaf necklace – gather leaves together and thread them on string! A great activity! Try our other leaf craft ideas for kids here.
Even bad weather can be fun in the colder months – go on a muddy puddle walk!
Hill Sledding
You don’t need to have snow to go sledging! Grab an old cardboard box, flatten it to make yourself a sledge and try mud or hillside sledging. This works best when it’s slightly icy – you’ll move a lot faster!
If you’ve been thinking that your New Year’s Resolutions will include more family time and more time outdoors – we have a ton of ideas for some creative outdoor activities that kids will love. Every year we choose a family adventure a month that we’d all like to do! Find out more about our 12 Family Adventures here!
Cook Outside
What’s better than a cosy fire outside in winter? Kids love learning how to build fires and they’ll love learning how to cook outside on a chilly day! Find our favourite recipes to cook outside with kids here and this is our favourite outdoor cookbook – which has loads of brilliant ideas that are perfect for having fun cookouts with kids!
30 Ideas for Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids
Here’s the a little sneak preview into the ideas we’ll be sharing…… For full instructions or details on the activity – pop along to WildHood Adventures for the full ideas and helpful hints. See all the Outdoor Winter Activity Ideas.
Wild About Winter Calendar
Here’s a little freebie for you guys to help you keep up with the challenge – an Outdoor Winter Activity Calendar! We hope you’ll join in too and embrace an outdoor winter this year. Keep warm out there, friends. Explore Winter. Have mini outdoor adventures and your kids will love it!
Check out our Awesome Autumn Outdoor Activities for kids to do too!
More Outdoor Winter Activities for kids that will blow away the winter blues…
If you’re looking for a fun outdoor Christmas activity for kids – here’s a lovely Christmas scavenger hunt.
Nature Inspired Winter Activities for Kids
24 Things to do on a Woodland Walk
