Winter Fun Activities for Toddlers

Every moment, whether parents mean it to be or not, is a teaching moment for children. When parents or caregivers remain aware that children are watching and learning from everything we say and do, we can use both fun and everyday activities to teach as well as entertain. Winter fun activities for toddlers take place inside the home as well as outside in the cold snow.

Bundle Up

• Before playing outside in the snow, check the outside temperature and make sure your toddler is dressed appropriately. Turn getting ready to play outside into a game. Encourage your little one to do as much as possible alone. Make each piece of clothing important. "We need boots because they make kicking snow fun and keep toes dry and warm." "We need a coat so when you throw snowballs and get them thrown back. The thick coat protects you from getting hurt." "The hat keeps your ears warm so they won't hurt in the cold." "The scarf wraps around and around to remind you of my hugs and how much I love you." Even helping your toddler get ready for winter activities outside can be made fun and give incentives to dress even more quickly the next time.

Snow Angels

• Toddlers love playing in snow. Show your toddler how to make a snow angel. In a fresh bed of snow, help him lie back. Tell him to move his legs back and forth and his arms up and down in the snow. Have him do this several times before helping him up without disturbing the snow angel. Show him the pattern he made and tell him he made his own angel. Without disturbing the pattern, help your toddler include eyes and other facial features. Take a picture of your toddler sitting beside the snow angel.

Snowman Characters

• Does you child have favorite characters? Help your toddler roll snowballs large enough for the head of a snowman. Instead of rolling larger and even larger snowballs for the middle and bottom, roll three or four snowballs of approximately the same size. Before stacking them, add faces and characteristics of your toddler's favorite characters. Example: add a pig nose for a pig, a scarf for Pooh. Some additions you can create with your child in preparation for the outdoor activity. Once you toddler approves of the snowball heads, stack them one on top of the other for a totem pole look. Take a picture with your toddler standing beside the favorite character snowball creation.

Frame It

• Once you return indoors, read a book or watch a video of the favorite characters created in the snowball pole. Talk about why those characters are good characters as well as fun to watch. If you use a computer to download pictures, download and enlarge a picture of your toddler with the snowball character pole. If you don't have an actual picture, have your toddler draw a picture of his outdoor creation. Take card stock or heavier paper that is larger than the picture, large enough to frame the picture. Draw a frame so you know where to glue the picture. But before doing so, give your toddler crayons to decorate the frame. Glue on the picture and display.