Fun winter activities: Recreations that children can enjoy
We’ve gathered winter activities that kids can enjoy!
In addition to classic seasonal pastimes perfect for winter—like kite flying and spinning tops—we also introduce a variety of outdoor games and recreational activities that will warm them up.
Some children aren’t fond of playing outside because it’s so cold in winter.
On the other hand, some kids want to play outside a lot even when it’s chilly.
This article features both indoor and outdoor activities, so find the ones your kids want to try!
These are great for elementary school recreation, and we’ve also included fingerplay songs and traditional children’s songs, so feel free to incorporate them into early childhood care as well!
- [For Kids] Indoor Games and Activities Recommended for Winter Break
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [For Kids] Outdoor Recreation Games: Fun Outdoor Play
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- Fun snow play ideas that captivate both kids and adults!
- Exciting! Recreational Activities to Enjoy at a Christmas Party
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- New Year party games that get everyone excited: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY
- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
Fun winter activities: Recreational ideas for kids (11–20)
Rolling dodgeball
If you want to move your body a lot and warm up, we recommend this game: Rolling Dodgeball.
In regular dodgeball, you set up a rectangular court and throw the ball, but in rolling dodgeball, as the name suggests, you roll the ball.
The rule is to roll the ball from outside a circle instead of a square, and the people inside the circle try to avoid getting hit.
The way to play is simple, and it doesn’t hurt even if the ball touches you, so even small children can enjoy it.
Let’s keep active through play and stay energetic even during the cold winter!
Udon making
A lot of kids love udon, don’t they? And it makes sense! Slippery, easy-to-eat udon is made with simple ingredients, so most children have been eating it since they were on baby food.
How about trying to make udon from scratch? Kids actually tend to like cooking more than you’d expect, and they often jump in with great curiosity.
Making udon is fun because kneading the dough feels like playing with clay, and covering it with plastic and stepping on it might even make them jump for joy! Once it’s done, let’s all eat together and keep warm through the cold winter.
Mikan picking
When you think of delicious winter fruits, many people probably picture mikan (Japanese mandarins).
Sweet, tangy, and packed with nutrients, mikan are loved by people of all ages.
Even if they’ve eaten them, many children don’t know how mikan are grown.
How about enjoying mikan picking together with those children? Mikan trees are within easy reach for kids, and you can harvest the fruit without using scissors.
It’s also a great opportunity to learn how mikan grow and how to choose tasty ones.
Mikan picking is perfect for winter food education—why not give it a try?
Fluffy Art
Let me introduce a fluffy, adorable “fluffy art” craft.
First, draw any picture you like on construction paper.
Next, tear some tissue paper into pieces, put them in a paper cup, and soak them with water.
Squeeze the tissue paper tightly and pour off any excess water.
Add glue to the cup and mix well.
Finally, use chopsticks to pick up the glue-coated tissue paper and place it onto the picture you drew.
Let it dry thoroughly and you’re done.
It’s also perfect for practicing with chopsticks.
Try using tissue paper in different colors to create a wonderful piece of art!
yuzu bath
The winter solstice is the day of the year when the sun is above the horizon for the shortest time.
On that day, there is a custom of taking a bath with floating yuzu.
How about experiencing a yuzu bath and enjoying the refreshing aroma and warmth of yuzu? A casual way to try it is with a foot bath or by soaking your hands, which is recommended.
Warming your hands and feet thoroughly also supports staying healthy through the winter.
Let’s also have people think about how the warmth feels different when yuzu is added and how to enhance its fragrance.
6 Recommended Finger-Play Activities for Winter
Let’s have them enjoy moving their fingers with fingerplay activities set to winter-themed songs.
Moving their hands while singing not only makes it fun, but also helps warm up the body.
Try a variety of winter songs—ones featuring animals, Christmas-themed songs, and more—and carefully figure out which songs they enjoy the most.
Paying attention to how they move—whether small movements just with the hands or larger movements using the arms—will help warm up the whole body, so it’s highly recommended.
long rope jumping
It takes a fair number of people, but long-rope jumping is a classic game you can enjoy in winter.
Like tag, it’s an active game, so you can warm up while playing even in the cold.
Unlike regular jump rope, height differences aren’t an issue, so both adults and children can enjoy it together—that’s a nice advantage.
Homemade miso making
How about making miso, a traditional Japanese fermented seasoning, together with your children? Rather than just explaining what miso is made from and how it’s produced, actually making it together creates a hands-on experience that will stick in their memories.
Miso-making mainly involves using your hands to mix and knead, so kids can enjoy taking on the challenge.
The aroma of the miso and the tactile feel in their hands will stimulate their senses.
It’s said that making it during the colder months—called “kanjikomi,” or winter preparation—results in better flavor, so try making it together in the cold winter season.
Hot Spring Exercises IRyuzo Fukuda
When you soak in a hot spring during the cold winter, the warm water wraps around you, warming both body and soul and making you feel wonderfully relaxed.
Let me introduce a song perfect for winter baths: “Onsen Taiso No.
1.” It portrays the whole sequence from before entering the hot spring to after getting out, and its unique lyrics and movements naturally lift your spirits.
If everyone does the exercises on a cold day, you might just feel like you’re at a hot spring! It’s a fun and quirky routine that’s sure to bring smiles to children’s faces—give it a try!
kite flying
Kite flying has long been loved as a classic New Year’s pastime in winter.
It might be a bit difficult on your first try, but after a few attempts you gradually get the hang of it.
Once you learn how to fly a kite well, you may find yourself losing track of time.
