For many students, winter break is a welcome relief from assignments, essays, tests, and all that goes with going to school. But for those who now have these young ones at home and want to keep them busy (besides time on their devices or creating their “watch list” on the family streaming channel), try a few of the activities below. Not only will the activities keep them occupied (so you can work, cook, nap...), they might just help keep their learning juices flowing until it’s time to head back to school.
Winter Break What-To-Do's
- Go on a scavenger hunt. Learning a second language? List items in that language. Want to stay tucked in at home? Go on an ABC hunt, searching for items that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Be creative with the lists!
- Use your hands. Exercise the fingers and mind with origami, knitting, or a 1000-piece puzzle.
- Create a makerspace. The makerspace should just have enough space to allow kids to explore their imaginations and spark creativity. Keep age-appropriate tools and materials (scissors, masking tape, hot glue gun, ruler, etc.) in the space, organized in bins or boxes. A simple bookshelf serves as the perfect storage solution.
- Play outside games with a twist. Played one too many games of Freeze Tag? Try Flashlight Tag (have extra batteries stored for this game!). Want to play Tic-Tac-Toe in the yard? Use items from nature like rocks for O’s and dandelions for X’s. Take snowball fights inside by turning white socks or paper into balls and having a friendly “battle” indoors.
- Do an archaeological dig! Find a place in the yard that you wouldn’t mind the kids digging into (or has some weeding that needs to be done) and set up a dig. Here’s a great idea using 3D-printed models – I Dig It.
- #Snowfun. Bundle up and create a few snow sculptures, make frozen bubbles, construct an igloo (or two), or build a snow volcano! Have a social media account (or two)? Add some music, text, or use a template and share the fun!
- Read! Escape into different worlds created by incredibly talented authors. Better yet, build a cozy book nook or blanket fort to enjoy these quiet times of imagination adventures.
- Build with blocks. Have connecting blocks (rhymes with May-goes) or wooden blocks or even Jenga pieces? Amp up the creative sparks by having them build houses, cars, castles, fortresses, furniture, and more. What young minds can do with blocks is limitless and can foster interest in STEM concepts!
- Write Thank You notes. December 26 is National Thank You Note Day so get some pretty paper, nice pens, fun stickers, and start writing. It’s helpful to create a list of who to thank and develop a simple sample note to reduce the number of questions asked. Oh, and you can always send a Thank You email with fun emojis and GIFs! If you choose to email, create a template in Google Docs for your kiddoes. They can then copy/paste them thank you notes into the emails.
If you have a winter activity that you’d like to share, please comment below!
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