When the time comes for the chillier months of the year, you may be feeling a little lost — what are some things to do with your children that they can enjoy?
When the mercury drops low, perhaps you’d prefer staying indoors. Surely, there are lots of fun indoor activities to get your little ones busy with, but why not take your children out and let them explore a little of what Mother Nature has to offer?
Sit back for this one — we’ve come up with a list of both outdoor and indoor winter activities for your toddlers, so you’ll know what to plan from April to August!
Indoor Winter Activities For Toddlers
On those pesky rainy or snow chilly days when you’re stuck inside, it doesn’t mean it can’t be full of fun and exciting activities your toddler will love! Here are some fantastic ideas that will keep everyone entertained for hours on end.
1. Winter Art And Craft Activities
There are endless winter art and craft activities that you can do with things you already have lying around the house. For example, all you need is some paper, cotton balls and pencils and you can make a snowman together.
You could use an empty egg carton and cut it up to help them turn it into a bee, caterpillar or something else. Or perhaps your child enjoys playing with nail polish and makeup, so you turn the bathroom into a nail salon for them.
Got some popsicle sticks? Help them make indoor hopscotch and then watch them have an absolute blast with it!
2. Treasure Hunts
These are a great way to get your child up and active while also having a lot of fun in the process. You can hide different items around the house, then ask them to find each one by one. If they’re struggling, give them some clues to help them on their way.
3. Set Up A Fort
You can use your sofa, some chairs, boxes and blankets to help them set up a cosy little fort. Why not add a storytelling element to this. Recite a tale from an adventure book and get all animated to bring the characters to life. A way to nurture your child’s love for reading? Of course!
4. Create An Obstacle Course
Older toddlers will really enjoy advancing from one spot to another only by getting past the things you’ve placed in their path. Set up a points system and get everyone in the family involved in the game. The winner… gets to choose who does the dishes.
5. Cook Or Bake
The kitchen is a great space to bond with your little one, so why not cook up a flavourful storm with your child and prepare dinner for the day? Have your child decked up in a chef’s attire to make them feel in character!
Outdoor Winter Activities For Toddlers
Once the rain clears up, it’s time to head out! There are a lot of wonderfully fun winter activities your toddler will love to do outside as well. If you’re in the snowing regions of Australia, outdoor activities are unforgettably fun!
1. Collect Leaves And Sticks
Tell your child to pick up a few sticks and leaves to take in so you can use them for winter art and craft activities inside at a later stage. This might include painting them or tracing around them and colouring in the picture.
It’s also a great sensory activity. For instance, you can have your child look at and touch leaves and twigs that are wet (or chilly cold), and observe how their colours have changed from the last time they saw these in summer. Take them to the beach for this activity too and let them see how the waves look in such weather.
2. Puddle Splashing
It’s difficult to find any toddler who doesn’t absolutely adore jumping in puddles and making a splash. Take advantage of the rainy season by dressing them up in gumboots and appropriate clothing, then head outside for a good splashing session with them.
3. Make The Snowman
When there’s snow, there ought to be a snowman. Have your childrens all geared up to conquer the thick blanket of snow, and challenge them to build the best snowman, whether it’s Olaf or one from their imagination.
4. Fly A Kite
If it’s windy but not raining, take them to a park where they have space to run around and fly a kite. Bonus points if you helped them make the kite for an arts and crafts activity!
Winter Doesn’t Have To Mean Limited Fun
With these fun winter activity ideas for toddlers, you and your child can have plenty of fun, whether you remain indoors or outdoors. Why not get in touch with our educators at MindChamps Australia to learn how we get our childrens all excited about the winter too. We’d love to have your child join us to enjoy our suite of activities!
Book a visit to a nearby preschool centre in Sydney today to speak with us!