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Yes, parents, it’s nearly time for winter break, which means we’re facing down the barrel of a week or two of unstructured time with our children in between the holidays. But never fear, we have come up with many activities to keep your kids (and you) entertained until school rescues us once more.
Some of us have the luxury of taking this holiday time off along with our children, which makes things a whole lot easier, but also still gives you great yawning blocks of time to fill. We hope you can spend some of the following days outdoors. Perhaps you might even play in the snow or participate in winter sports, like some idyllic children’s book. Maybe there are even places you can go for a change of scenery.
If weather and those pesky circulating microbes are keeping you indoors, though, we’ve got you covered. And if you’re one of us poor suckers still working while our kids are free to tug at our sleeves and demand snacks every five minutes, we have some ideas for you as well.
In many ways, we all should be pros at this whole juggling act of entertaining our children at home. But no one is ever a pro where our kids are concerned. They change; the things that used to thrill them get boring; their hungry minds need more to feed them than even those bottomless stomachs. So don’t feel bad if you’re feeling a bit intimidated by winter break. Flip through these suggestions with fresh eyes, and you may find the one thing (or 10) that will make everyone happy through the New Year. Whether it’s online art classes, baking kits, or interactive FaceTime games with Grandpa, there are activities to turn that yawning time into a beautiful memory.
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Dance Like Everyone is Watching
My family’s holiday tradition for the past several years involves all generations competing in a Just Dance tournament in my sister’s living room. Of course, it’s heart-pumping fun all by yourself … but it’s seriously better when there’s someone there to laugh at (er, with) you. The latest edition, Just Dance 2025, contains not only songs by contemporary artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish, but nostalgic throwbacks like Green Day’s 1994 smash “Basket Case” too!
Host a ‘Camp-In’
Instead of a campout, camp in. If the weather outside is frightful, let your kids set up a tent (or just a blanket fort!) in the living room and pretend like they’re roughing it. Even better? Grab a gadget like this one and make s’mores indoors!
Make Them Renaissance Kids
The sheer number of subjects taught in small, live, online classes through Outschool is mind-boggling. This is the perfect opportunity for your kid to become a dabbler in all sorts of subjects from sculpture to classical guitar to Pokemon to architecture (pictured). Suitable for kids of all ages.
Get Creative With Kid-Friendly Baking
If you constantly mean to start baking projects with your kids but never manage to remember to buy all the ingredients, we have a solution. Kidstir kits come with all the premeasured ingredients you’ll need to bake treats like cupcakes or cake pops, along with easy-to-follow instructions. You can also buy a separate kit that includes baking tools and an organizer carrying case.
Give Back
Hunger is, as always, a huge problem. Fortunately, there are ways you and your kids can help together — and put that downtime to good use! Check in with your local food bank (find it here) to see if there are shifts for box-packing or community dinners you can do as a family. Some organizations may also have opportunities for you to deliver food to those in need.
Catch a Matinee
Taking the whole family to the movie theater can be pricey — but while you’ve got some time during the day, a matinee can be a much cheaper option. You can use Fandango to find a matinee near you … or watch hit movies on-demand from the comfort of your own couch.
Podcasts All Day
Set your kid up to enjoy some kid-friendly podcasts (Wow in the World, Story Pirates, Rebel Girls, and The Ten News are a few of our faves; if you have older kids, check out this list of our favorite podcasts for teens). A number of new devices (like Amazon’s Echo Dot Kids!) make it easier for littles to hit play safely without a screen, so you can go about your own business during the day and know they’ll be entertained.
Let Loose Your Mad Scientists
A kit like Bill Nye’s VR Science Kit helps ensure that your kids can exercise their curiosity without accidentally setting your house on fire. The kit contains almost everything you need, except a phone to facilitate the augmented reality and virtual reality elements that put all the cool experiments into context.
Use Zoom & Facetime Like It’s 2020
Make like it’s 2020 and connect with other family members or friends and liven up your chat time with some games. We’ve had success with charades and Pictionary, which you can facilitate with an online game-word generator like this one. You can also have one grownup (maybe a far-away grandparent, for example) be the emcee of a scavenger hunt, or DJ a game of freeze dance.
Winter ‘Camp’ Is Here
Working parents who often sign up for winter break day camps can still do something like that. Online class portal Sawyer can connect you to a number of classes and camps, taught live via video by studios, theaters, and arts organizations that might otherwise be doing this in person. Dance, video games, coding, chess, toddler movement — you name it and someone’s teaching it online. There are also holiday camps that offer a variety of activities within each session.
Have a Fun Photo Shoot
All dressed up and nowhere to go? Sure! Have your kids put on costumes or fancy outfits, grab a few props and a blank wall, and use your cell phone to capture their sweetest and sassiest poses. Who knows, you might even end up with a worthy photo for the ‘Gram!
Crack Open a Digital Book
If your work schedule, sickness, or the weather makes it tough to get to the bookstore or a library (or you’re just feeling lazy), reading apps like Epic! are an excellent alternative. The app is easy for kids to navigate based on their age and reading level, and there are many read-along and video options for children who aren’t yet reading on their own.
Plan a Family Meal
The hustle and bustle of school and extracurriculars can sometimes make family dinner a hurried affair. Take advantage of the time off by planning and cooking a meal together — even if it’s just a simple build-your-own-pizza night. Roll up your sleeves and give everyone a job in the kitchen, then fold some napkins in a fancy way (there’s an easy tutorial here!) and enjoy the fruits of your labor together.
Have a Soothing Spa Day
Grab the cucumber slices and scented candles and set up a DIY spa day right in your home! Find some face mask recipes that are easy to whip up with ingredients from your own kitchen, slather your feet with lotion and put on a pair of socks, and kick back for a few. Or if you’re feeling ambitious, you can create your own blissfully-scented spa day essentials with a kit like this one!
And If All Else Fails … Let Them Be Bored
I don’t know about you, but I distinctly remember having zero plans over winter break during several different years of my childhood. I survived. This is a finite time. They’ll get enough structure at some point in the future. And in fact, if you take away their screens for a few hours your kids might even thrive as they figure out something new to do on their own.
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