The first three days of break are easy. Pajamas until noon, new toys everywhere, a movie with popcorn for lunch. Then the novelty wears off, the new toys are under the couch, and someone asks what we are doing today for the ninth time before breakfast. These winter break activities for kids are for that moment.
We sorted them by mood, because a restless kid at ten in the morning needs something different from a droopy kid at four in the afternoon. Pick one from each list and the day mostly runs itself.
Winter break activities for kids, sorted by the slump
Most break days have the same shape. A burst of energy after breakfast. A long lull after lunch. A cranky stretch before dinner. Planning for the shape works better than planning for the clock.
- Morning. Burn energy. Big movement, loud games, outdoor time if the weather allows.
- Early afternoon. A project with a finish line. Something they can show off at dinner.
- Late afternoon. Quiet, cozy, sitting down. Games, books, drawing.
Keep a short list on the fridge. When the question comes, point at the list and let them choose. Kids complain less about plans they picked. Add a blank line at the bottom for their own ideas. You will get some strange ones, like a pillow parade, and some great ones.
For the bouncing off the walls hours
The hallway obstacle course
Couch cushions, a laundry basket to jump into, a blanket tunnel, a line of tape to walk like a tightrope. Time each run on your phone. Let them redesign it after every lap.
Sock skating
Clear the kitchen floor, put on thick socks and push off. Add music and it becomes a figure skating final, with a parent holding up scorecards.
Snow painting
If you have snow, fill spray bottles with water and a few drops of food coloring. Kids paint the yard. If you have no snow, the same bottles work on a big sheet of paper taped to the fence.
Freeze dance with a twist
When the music stops, call out an animal. Everyone freezes as that animal. The judge is whoever laughs first.
Balloon volleyball
Tie a string between two chairs and blow up one balloon. The rule is simple: the balloon never touches the floor. Little kids can play against grown-ups, and nothing in the room breaks.
For the quiet afternoon slump
After lunch, energy drops and patience goes with it. This is the time for sitting down together.
- A big puzzle on a tray. Leave it out all week. People drift by and add a piece.
- An audiobook and a sketchbook. Kids draw what they hear. Compare drawings at the end of a chapter.
- Card games. Go Fish, Crazy Eights, a matching game. Short rounds mean nobody sulks for long.
- Letters to Grandma. Draw a picture, dictate a note, add a sticker. Mailing it counts as an outing.
A memory game with family faces works especially well here. Matchy Matchy Memory prints your own photos as a matching game, from $19.99. Kids tend to stay at the table longer when the cards show cousins, the dog and themselves as babies.
Small projects with a finish line
A project gives a long day a middle. Pick one that takes an hour or two and ends with something to show.
Cardboard city
Save every delivery box from the holidays. Cut doors and windows, draw signs, tape it all into a town on the living room floor. Toy cars get a whole new life.
Cookie delivery route
Bake one simple batch. Kids decorate, wrap a few in paper and deliver them to neighbors. It is baking, art and a walk in one afternoon.
A game made from the holiday photos
Let the kids pick their favorite photos from the break so far. Then you turn them into a deck. Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws them in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99, which kids find very funny when it is Uncle Dave. Choosing the photos is the project. The game is the reward.
Getting everyone out of the house
Even an hour out resets the whole house. None of these need a ticket.
- The library. Let each kid pick a stack. Many libraries run break programs, so ask at the desk.
- A winter scavenger hunt. Find a red door, a pinecone, a dog in a sweater, a snowman or a puddle.
- A playdate swap. You take their kids one morning, they take yours the next. Everyone wins.
- A hot cocoa walk. Fill a thermos, walk to the park, drink it on a bench. Bring a ball.
A few house rules that save the break
The activities matter less than the rhythm around them. A few small rules keep the second week calm.
- One outing a day. Even a walk to the mailbox counts. Cabin fever is real.
- Screens after the project. Kids finish the cardboard city, then the tablet comes out. The order does the arguing for you.
- Grandparents on call. A video call in the afternoon slump gives everyone a fresh face. Let the kids show off what they made.
- Boredom is allowed. Twenty minutes of nothing often turns into the best game of the day, invented on the spot.
Make one for the slow days
Pick a handful of photos from the holidays, the cousins, the snow day, the dog in the new sweater. Choose real photos or re-drawn ones. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. You upload from your phone and see your first card before you pay.
Start with Matchy Matchy Memory for your real photos, or Matchy Matchy Magic to see the family re-drawn. It is a game for this break and the next rainy afternoon after it. Questions? Write to us at hello@matchygame.com.