Winter WONDERland! Screen Free Activities for Winter Break
When winter break comes around, everyone seems to catch that spark of holiday excitement—especially children! The lights get brighter, the days feel cozier, and suddenly every kid is bouncing with enough festive energy to power the neighbor’s inflatable snowman. But every busy parent knows that winter break also brings a flurry of last-minute errands, gift wrapping marathons, family gatherings, and the annual quest to locate the good scissors.
That’s where a little preparation (and a few creative ideas) can make all the difference.
To help keep your kids happily engaged—and maybe even give you a few peaceful moments to sip something warm—we’ve put together 7 screen-free activities for all ages that spark imagination, encourage creativity, and keep those holiday vibes going strong.
So before the “I’m boooored” chorus begins, take a look at these fun, festive, hands-on ideas to keep young minds of all ages busy and hearts full all winter break long!
Sensory Snow
With two simple household ingredients, young children can make life like snow that provides a sensory play experience!
What You Need:
- Baking Soda
- Shaving Cream
- Measuring Cup
- Plastic Container
How to Do This Activity:
Combine equal parts baking soda and shaving cream (start with one cup of each) to make the “snow”! Use cookie cutters, scoops, or other materials to create shapes and explore the texture!
Crystal Snowflakes
Growing crystals is an age-old home science experiment that you may remember from your own childhood! Put a special holiday twist on this classic by forming your pipe cleaners into holiday shapes like snowflakes and Christmas trees!
**This activity involves the use of a stove. Please ensure children are supervised, or prepare the heated solution ahead of time**
What You Need:
- Pipe cleaners
- Mason Jars (or a similar heat safe container) - 1 per shape
- Salt
- Water
- A Pencil or other writing utensil
How to Do This Activity:
Fill your container with water. Pour this water into a pot and place it on the stove with the heat*. When the water boils, start adding salt. Keep pouring it in until crystals start to form on the surface of the water- you’ll need quite a bit! While the water cools, shape your pipe cleaners into your desired design, making sure it will fit through the jar’s opening.
Attach another small piece of pipe cleaner as a hanger and wrap it around a pencil. Place the shape into the jar and rest the pencil across the opening to suspend it in the solution. Set the jar in a sunny window for 2–3 days and voilà—a crystallized Christmas surprise!!
Build a Snowflake STEM
This one is a STEM learning classic that’s fun, easy, and deliciously hands-on!
What You Need:
- Toothpicks
- Mini-Marshmallows
- Printable Templates (optional)
How to Do This Activity:
Use toothpicks and mini marshmallows to create snowflakes! Download these printable templates as guides to get kids started and spark ideas.
Winter Watercolors
Watercolors are easy to use and easy to clean up- the perfect combination for winter break crafting!
What You Need:
- Copy paper
- White crayons
- Watercolor paints and brushes
How to Do This Activity:
Draw a festive design with the white crayon on the copy paper. Then paint over the top of the design with the water color to watch the design magically appear!
Holiday Charades
Yes, charades. Just like it sounds! Charades, but with festive holiday items and characters!
What You Need:
- Charade Cards, either homemade or try this printable!
How to Do This Activity:
Gather a group of players. Each person draws a card and acts out the item or character without speaking. The player with the most correct guesses at the end wins.
DIY Snowglobe
Snowglobes have a certain amount of nostalgia, and can become a fun collectible item! Snowglobes made at home even add an extra layer of sentimental value to a holiday decor staple.
What You Need:
- A Mason Jar
- Small ornaments or figurines
- Glitter
- Distilled Water
- Hot Glue and glue gun
- Clear Elmers Glue
How to Do This Activity
Choose the figurines you want to showcase and hot glue them to the inside of the mason jar lid. Fill the jar at least halfway with distilled water. Add clear Elmer’s glue—this thickens the water and slows the glitter as it falls (the more glue, the slower the snow effect). Add glitter, then gently place the lid into the jar to ensure everything fits.
Once confirmed, remove the lid, apply hot glue around the rim, and screw it back on tightly. Let it dry completely, then shake and enjoy your homemade snow globe!
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
The weather can be quite chilly during winter break, so outdoor activities may be hard to come by! If you happen to catch a nice day, a festive outdoor scavenger hunt can be a great way to get moving and enjoy the neighborhood decorations!
What You Need:
- Weather Appropriate Attire
- Scavenger hunt list- make your own or download ours!
How to Do This Activity
Head outside for a walk and bring along your list! Try to find various objects or festive characters in the holiday decor in your neighborhood.
Winter break may feel like it flies by faster than Santa’s sleigh, but with a little creativity (and maybe a dash of glitter), it can be filled with meaningful moments, cozy memories, and plenty of hands-on fun. These simple, screen-free activities are perfect for keeping kids engaged while letting their imaginations take the lead—and giving you a chance to finish those last-minute holiday tasks without sprinting through the house like you’re late for the reindeer games.
If you’re looking for even more ways to keep the holiday magic going, we’ve got one more gift for you: a printable Falcon holiday coloring page! It’s an easy, no-prep activity that adds a little calm to the festive chaos.