With winter's chill approaching, everyone beings to feel a little stir crazy and looking for fresh ideas for things to do at home. If you've got children at home, it's important to involve them in planning your activities.
They'll be more engaged if they can help plan your winter fun. Finding things to do at home in winter helps families and friends stay connected.
Here are our top 11 choices for ways to stay busy until the spring thaw.
Favorite Movie Weekend
When the snowstorms are brewing outside, you can stay warm inside watching everyone's favorite movies. The key is to let everyone in your family pick their favorite movie and snack. That will give you several nights of fun just to watch all the movies.
Cocoa Bomb Night
Everyone loves cocoa bombs, and making them can be a fun family winter at-home activity. For this activity, you'll need a silicone chocolate mold for everyone in your family and ingredients like chocolate, marshmallows, sprinkles, cocoa mix and other colorful decorations. Don't forget the whipped cream! For added fun, you can turn the event into a competition by sharing the final creations on social media and asking your friends to vote for their favorite ones.
Game Night
Trivia nights and bingo games let friends and family members show off their knowledge and enjoy friendly competition while enjoying indoor winter activities together. You can craft your own trivia night using PowerPoint with a collection of themed questions, or you can play using an online platform. If children are involved, have a Disney trivia night — they'll be surprised by how much the adults know, too!
Learn Something New
The internet is full of affordable and free classes. Like your favorite movie weekend, your family members can each choose something for everyone to learn together. Check out the free options from Coursera, Udemy and local libraries and community education centers. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the plethora of free online courses that teach everything from mythology and 20th-century history to macrame and hand-lettering.
Arts and Crafts Day
Another fun thing to do at home in winter is an arts and crafts day. Before you get everyone together at the craft table, decide what everyone wants to do. You can fill your table with a variety of crafting materials and have a free-for-all, or you can have an organized activity where everyone paints a similar picture. If you have teens, you can watch a Bob Ross video and paint some happy trees together. Or, you could buy beads and make bracelets. The options are endless.
Learn How To Knit
Online videos make it easy to learn anything and everything. Get some yarn and watch a video to learn how to knit, either with your fingers or knitting needles.
Build a Giant Blanket Fort
Nothing says fun winter activities at home like building a blanket fort. Collect big cardboard boxes, a bunch of chairs, blankets and sheets. After you've built the fort, plan an activity in it — watch a movie, read books, make crafts or play board games together.
Have a Spa Day
Winter is a perfect time for an indoor spa day. Make a DIY sugar scrub to exfoliate dry skin, do your nails, style your hair, or do whatever you need to have a day of pampering indoor winter activities.
Organize Your Home
After a long winter at home, taking time to organize something can make it feel like spring is coming. You can organize a large space together or everyone can pick something small to organize. While organizing, create three piles: keep, donate and sell. Then, you can all work together to have a springtime garage sale!
Go on a Hike
If the weather cooperates, gather everyone and go on a winter hike. Look for animal tracks and take pictures of unusual shadows. You can make the day magical by encouraging your family to have a few moments of silence as you wander through the snowy trails.
Have a Tasting Party
Winter activities at home can be customized for people of all ages. A tasting party allows you to try flights of beer, favorite wines, or local soda offerings. You can even have a tasting party where you enjoy the different Oreo cookies, M&Ms or gummy bears. Pick a theme and enjoy the flavors of the day.
Ready for Winter Fun at Home?
When searching for winter activities at home, look for activities that everyone can do and enjoy. Taking time to do activities as a family builds relationships and gets your children and teens off of their phones and devices. After you have your first fun family winter fun day, you'll be pleasantly surprised when your children start asking for more of them.
