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!
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- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
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- [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!
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- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
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- 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: Recreations children can enjoy (61–70)
Yarn Play
Warm fashion featuring yarn is a winter staple.
Let’s get those hands moving with a familiar, cozy yarn activity.
We’ll have them knit to make bracelets or pom-poms; if the steps seem tricky, it’s best not only to provide a model but also to give thorough support.
Watching straight yarn transform into a shape can spark surprise and delight.
Let them choose the colors, and have them knit with a sense of anticipation about how the finished piece will turn out.
Roasted Sweet Potato Making
When winter comes, you can’t help but crave warm roasted sweet potatoes, can you? There’s a special kind of happiness in biting into a fluffy, steaming sweet potato in the crisp, cold air.
Try making roasted sweet potatoes by building a bonfire with fallen leaves together with your children.
Just be sure to handle fire with great care.
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)
It’s a game where you make a face by moving parts around while blindfolded.
Fukuwarai is one of the classic New Year’s games, but it’s not played as often these days.
That said, it’s actually a really fun game, so I highly recommend it.
It’s also enjoyable to make the parts yourself.
Making a snow bunny
Making a yuki-usagi—literally a “snow rabbit”—is a game where you craft a rabbit figurine out of snow.
Traditionally, you use nandina berries for the eyes and nandina leaves for the ears.
However, since nandina isn’t always available, you can use whatever you have on hand, such as fallen leaves or small stones, for the eyes and ears.
It’s an activity that kids can get completely absorbed in.
Observation of snow crystals
On snowy days, try observing snowflakes.
Even without a microscope, a magnifying glass or loupe is enough to see them well.
It also helps to catch the snow on a piece of black cloth to make it easier to see.
However, if the cloth is warm, the snow will melt quickly, so cool it down first—by leaving it outside, for example—before you start observing.
four-wheeler (ATV)
Stable buggies are perfect for exploring on snow and on rough terrain after the snow has melted.
There are not only adult buggies but also kids’ buggies, and there are two-seater buggies as well, so for safety it’s better for an adult to drive.
Even if children can’t drive, it’s a thrilling activity they can still enjoy.
Bozu Mekuri
This is “Bōzu Mekuri,” a classic New Year’s card game.
Even children who can’t read yet can play once they learn the pictures, so it’s recommended for preschoolers and lower-grade elementary school kids.
First, shuffle the picture cards well, place them face down to make a draw pile, and have the players sit around it.
Decide the turn order, then draw one card from the pile in turn.
If you draw a Lord card (tono), you get to keep the card you drew.
If you draw a Princess card (hime), you take all the cards stacked beside the draw pile.
If you draw a Monk card (bōzu), all the cards in your hand are confiscated.
When the draw pile runs out, the player with the most cards wins.
There are multiple optional house rules like “If this card appears, do this,” so feel free to adjust the rules to whatever is easiest and most fun for your group!
Where are you from?
Known as a temari (handball) song, “Antagata Dokosa” also has a jumping game that goes with it—did you know? It’s a great activity for older preschoolers through elementary school kids, helping them move their bodies and develop a sense of rhythm.
First, before playing, prepare the jumping area by making a grid.
Draw a square on the floor and add a cross inside to create four boxes.
Once the grid is ready, face each other and stand in the box on your own left side.
When the song starts, jump to the rhythm right → left in order, but be careful: only when the syllable “sa” appears in the song, you jump forward! If you bump into each other, that’s a miss—start over from the beginning.
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
Oshikura Manju is a game where, to the chant “Oshikura manju, don’t cry when you’re pushed,” players press against each other back-to-back to push opponents out of the territory.
It warms up the body, making it perfect for cold winter days.
Since it can be played in a short time, it’s also great for killing time.
Karuta game
When it comes to classic indoor winter games, karuta is a staple! In addition to the standard Hyakunin Isshu, there are quirky, laugh-inducing variants and regional versions available, so both kids and adults can enjoy them.
Try playing together with your child!