Need some fun winter break activities for the kiddos or grandkids? Check out these 14 days of holiday-themed activities you can enjoy on the homestead, vacation property or anywhere in the country
Winter break is fast approaching, which means the kids, nieces, nephews and grandkids will be home in full force.
Although city and suburban spaces have their entertainment perks, you really can’t beat quaint small towns and wide open country spaces for inspiring winter break activities.
Since most kids have about two weeks off for the holidays, we've compiled 14 winter break activities you can do to help make their holidays magical, memorable, and creative.
14 Days Of Winter Break Activities for Rural Kids & Families
Everyone’s interests, abilities, availability, ages and locations are different.
Therefore, we’ve created a diverse range of winter break activities designed to capture various interests without requiring hours and hours of preparation from the grownups.
Some will require adult participation, especially if you have younger children, while others require minimal (if any) adult supervision (which means more time for working, chores, online shopping, wrapping gifts or relaxing by the fire with a cup of spiced coffee — imagine!).
Regardless, you’re sure to find a wealth of activities for you and yours to enjoy.
1. Make A Winter-Themed Terrarium
Little winter terrariums are a joy for little hands to create and can be made from items found exclusively in nature.
This simple project gets the kids outside exercising their bodies and keen observation skills while putting their creativity to work.
All you need is a glass jar or bowl, some dirt, and winter-themed items from outdoors, such as miniature pinecones, moss, pine bows, nuts, dried citrus, pebbles, mushrooms, leaves, snail shells, holly, little logs, etc., to display in the jar or bowl.
For a magical woodland theme, pick up little gnome, mushroom and/or fairy figurines from your local craft shop (or whittle them with your kids if that’s your jam!)
Get a helpful DIY terrarium tutorial from outdoor mama-of-two Corey Hunt in 5 Ways To Get The Kids Outside During Quarantine.
2. Create A Wreath From Old Grapevines
Many rural southern properties have some variety of grapevine growing wild or in the garden.
Instead of tearing these down to rot or compost, save them to make festive wreaths with your children or grandchildren to hang on doors, windows, the barn, etc.
They can even make miniature versions for a terrarium, nature table or little doll houses.
Survivalist, nature lover, author, and Grandpa L. Woodrow Ross shares how in Holiday Decorating With Nature’s Beauty.
3. Attend a Small-Town Winter Festival, Parade, Or Play
Small-town festivals and parades featuring local artists and performers, Santa Claus, games, music and other festivities can be even more fun (and less overwhelming) for children than big-city events.
Local theaters, colleges and schools almost always offer holiday-themed children’s plays or puppet shows, which are cozy afternoon activities on chilly days.
Small farms may also host holiday events such as marketplaces, barn dances, plays, choir performances, tree lightings, seasonal crafting events, holiday hayrides with Santa and more.
Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, tourist board or town hall for information on seasonal events.
4. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm
If you haven’t gotten your Christmas tree yet, why not make it an event by visiting a local tree farm to select and cut your own?
There are various Christmas tree farms throughout the Southeast to choose from, many of which also host other family-friendly activities and events.
Find one near you in 12 Christmas Tree Farms In The South.
5. Sow Seeds In Milk Jugs for Your Early Spring Garden
It may sound strange, but seed sowing in milk jugs, which you leave outdoors in the wintery weather, is one of the most effective ways to start seeds for spring planting.
And you can start right now!
As homesteader Mara Watts outlines in Winter Sowing in Milk Jugs: A Step by Step Guide, the seeds she starts in milk jugs every December turn out to be the most healthy, hardy and productive plants in her garden.
The theory goes that the milk jugs act as a greenhouse for the seeds, protecting them from being eaten or blown away. Then, as the soil freezes and thaws over the winter it helps loosen the seed coat, preparing it for successful germination.
As outdoor temperatures warm, little seedlings will crop up according to their optimal sprouting time.
It really is a cool process to observe and participate in with children.
This project is cheap, quick and requires very few materials.
All you need are a few milk jugs or transparent plastic containers, some soil, a drill, a sharp knife, and some duct tape, a pen for labeling, and you’re ready to sow your spring garden…in a milk jug!
Then they can watch the seeds all winter and enjoy seeing them come to life in springtime.
Get the full tutorial in Winter Sowing in Milk Jugs: A Step by Step Guide.
6. Feed The Birds By Decorating An Outdoor Tree
This is a fun and festive activity for children of all ages that can lead to hours of joyous bird-watching.
The idea is to feed the birds with things like birdseed, popcorn and berries in the form of decorations that adorn a tree the children can see through a window.
Here’s what the decorations could look like:
- Peanut butter pine cones dipped in birdseed and hung from strings on branches
- A garland of popcorn
- A garland of fresh cranberries
- Cardboard cutouts smeared with nut butter and dipped in whole sunflower seeds in the shell hung from strings
- Birdseed sprinkled on the ledge of a little birdhouse or in hollowed-out gourds hung from string
You get the idea!
Have the children help make the edible decorations. Peanut butter pine cones and cardboard cutouts are usually a hit with younger ones and the older ones can string the popcorn and cranberry garlands and hollow out gourds.
You could also have them paint some unfinished birdhouses from the craft store to go along with everything.
Next, go outdoors and choose a tree to decorate.
Over the next few hours and days, the children can observe the tree and watch which bird species it attracts.
The antics of acrobatic squirrels trying to steal the bird’s bounty will also be a source of great amusement to little ones.
If the children really get into bird watching, consider this guide: Start Birdwatching With Kids To Connect With Nature.
7. Teach The Kids How To Build A Campfire & Roast Marshmallows
Getting kids (especially Southern kids!) outdoors in cold weather can be challenging.
Yet, outdoor activities are essential for burning off energy, promoting good physical and emotional health and enhancing skills.
Fortunately, a warm fire is almost irresistible on chilly days, making winter break an ideal time to build a campfire and teach your kids how to do so safely.
And if the prospect of roasting marshmallows as a reward works as a bribe, so be it.
Obviously, this activity requires constant adult supervision, and you are the best judge of when your child/children are mature enough to handle fire starting.
If you deem this is an appropriate activity, Grandpa, survival expert, primitive craftsman, and author L. Woodrow Roos provides a full tutorial for parents, including safety tips, in How To Teach Kids To Start Campfires Safely.
And if your kids aren’t ready for the main event of fire starting, they can probably help by collecting sticks, carrying wood and enjoying the marshmallows and s’mores.
8. Christmas Shop At Local Country Stores
It can be oh-so-tempting to do all our holiday shopping online.
Yet, these quaint local country stores, which enhance our rural places, rely heavily on locals and tourists during the holidays.
They’re also fun places to take children, as many of them convey the feeling of stepping back in time.
So, if you need an outing, make the effort to visit your local country stores to pick up stocking stuffers like local preserves and pickles, art and woodwork, plants, baked goods, and more.
You can also encourage your children to bring along their allowance (or give them a budget) to buy gifts from friends and family that support your rural community.
9. Make Hay Forts In The Hayloft
If you’re lucky enough to have a hayloft, let it be a space to play!
If you don’t want the kids having the run of the place, rope off a play area where they can build forts, bounce on hail bales, and get creative in the barn.
10. Make A Gnome Home From Stumps Or Logs
If you have a wooded lot, chances are you have boring old stumps or logs that could be transformed into magical playthings.
One fun idea is to create woodland gnome or fairy houses by affixing a simple roof to the top of a stump or log using sticks, scrap wood or a wooden board, then adorning it with rustic shingles, moss, or even a makeshift thatch look using dry grass or hay.
This looks cute on its own, or you could paint windows and doors or have the children make some out of popsicle sticks to attach.
From there, the children can be in charge of decorating the area around the house with rocks, moss, inexpensive gems from the local country store, fairy or gnome figurines, a little stone pond, stick furniture and ornaments, wreaths or their own creations.
Find inspiration on Pinterest by searching: Tree Stump Gnome House or Tree Stump Fairy House.
11. Make Homemade Vanilla Extract As A Gift
In a world of extreme holiday commercialism, homemade gifts are truly appreciated by most folks.
Homemade vanilla extract makes the perfect handmade gift and it’s easy to make with kids.
It’s also a very collaborative gift because the gift givers (you and your child/ren) begin the process of making it, then pass it on to the recipient to complete the infusion, which takes six months for maximum flavor.
You can also make a jar for your home or your child’s/grandchild’s home, and let them watch as the infusion darkens and becomes aromatic.
Learn how in: Homemade Vanilla Extract: A Collaborative Holiday Gift.
12. Make Ornaments From Gum Tree Balls And Pinecones
Making ornaments using treasures from nature is a win-win activity, as the children must spend time collecting the items and transforming them into decor.
A simple method is to use gum tree balls (the spiky dark brown balls) and pinecones.
Have the child/ren collect a big basket of them, taking time to select the best-looking balls or cones.
Next, help them spray paint them outdoors using metallic colors such as silver or gold and/or holiday colors like red, white and green.
Help them thread through some sturdy thread with a needle, and they’re ready to decorate inside or outside or give as gifts.
Get the full tutorial and photos in: Holiday Decorating With Nature's Beauty
13. Take A Winter Hike With Scavenger Hunt
Wintertime is often one of the best times of the year for hiking in the South as the weather is often fairly mild and the trails are less busy.
Here are some tips for a successful winter hike:
- Check the weather and dress accordingly. In the South, this usually means layers.
- Choose the right distance hike to suit your family’s needs. More than a mile or two will probably be too much for little legs.
- Choose a hike with interesting features like a waterfall, views, bridges, lakes, streams or interesting nooks and crannies.
- Pack hearty snacks and/or a lunch with a blanket to sit on. Kids (and grownups) get extra hungry in cooler weather and it’s nice to have a clean dry place to sit.
- Pack a first aid kit.
- Pack plenty of water and a comforting hot beverage like hot cocoa, tea or cider.
- Pack an extra change of clothes for the little ones (because you just never know)
- Include a scavenger hunt as an ice-breaker. You can download various nature-based scavenger hunts or purchase a set of scavenger hunt cards to get the kids involved in the walk.
- Don’t rush. Allow the children to take breaks to observe, climb, hop, skip rocks, chase squirrels and be part of the woods.
Get more tips on hiking with kids here, and how to layer for cold weather here.
14. Create A Seasonal Winter Table
This Waldorf-inspired activity is something the kids can work on all winter break or season.
Designate a shelf, table, or other space in the home as a nature table, then have the children fill it with their own seasonal creations and treasures from the great outdoors.
A winter nature table might be decorated with strings of lights or beeswax candles and filled with homemade decorations, snow made from cotton, little fairy houses, pinecones, sticks, little boats made of cracked nuts, felt cut-outs, holly, magnolia, or other evergreen boughs, paper snowflakes, homemade wreaths, or whatever inspires your child.
Find inspiration by searching “waldorf winter nature tables”.
Happy Holidays!!!
