Fun activities for families to do outside in Winter

It’s a bit chilly out there and it has been very blustery, so you may be feeling like you’ve been stuck indoors for an age. It’s time to blow away those cobwebs and get yourself and the kids outside for an invigorating winter walk.
There is still lots activities for families to do on a winter walk even when it is cold and miserable outside. Just wrap up warm, don those wellies and go exploring.

Build an animal shelter

Woodland animals that are snuffing about looking for food will be thankful for somewhere to rest and shelter from the wintry elements. To start, collect some sticks, branches and twigs. Then find a protected spot, e.g. next to a rock, by a tree trunk or a fallen log, and arrange the sticks into a wigwam shape. Find some bendy sticks to weave in and out of the taller sticks. Find some dry leaves, bracken and moss to cover it and keep it out of the rain. Remember to put some dry leaves inside to make a warm and comfy bed.

The National Trust has a great resource for making shelter for wild animals, as well as lots of fun and adventurous ideas across their whole website. You can find some shelter inspiration here.

Go on a winter scavenger hunt

Children love a challenge, so create a fun scavenger hunt to encourage children to really look at their surroundings. How many of these can you spot? If you don’t want to take these home, why don’t you just take a picture of each.

a frosty spider’s web
a half-eaten pine cone
an evergreen tree
a holly bush with berries
a leaf skeleton
a feather
a tuft of animal fur caught on a bush
a fungus (remember not to touch it as some fungi are poisonous!)
a robin
ivy with black berries

Here’s a leaf skeleton we found in our back garden, so you don’t have to look far.

Love Rocks

Have you ever found a colourful stone that someone has painted and hidden? If so, you have probably found a Love Rock. They are such a fun activity to do (for kids and adults alike). You simply paint a stone with a picture or a message and leave it outside in the open for people to find, they can either keep the stone if they want to or they will re-hide for someone else to find. There are some local Facebook pages dedicated to Love Rocks and often people write on them to tell seekers whereabouts to look after they have hidden their rocks. Our local Milton Keynes page is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/584041058653101/