Fun and Easy Indoor Winter Activities for Toddlers

When winter sets in, every toddler parent gets a little leery because it can be really challenging to keep little kids entertained without being able to let them play outdoors on cold winter days, especially after the fun of the holiday season is over.

This post is all about the best ideas for indoor winter activities for toddlers so you can keep your toddler busy and happy through the winter season without losing your mind! (There are great ideas for big kids, too!)

I have a 2 year old, so I know how easy it is for busy toddlers to get cooped up during the winter time. Here are some ideas that don’t take too much prep work.

Fun Indoor Winter Activities To Do At Home

Sensory Activities

Sensory activities are always entertaining for younger children and they are great for supporting their fine motor skills. Here are some fun ideas with a winter theme:

Create a simple snow sensory bin – An easy way to give them a fun snow experience indoors is to mix baking soda and basic white conditioner (I get the White Rain brand at the Dollar Tree) in a 1 to 4 ratio. It makes a perfect soft snow that holds it shape well but has the texture of powdery snow and it also somehow feels a little cold!

This has been a staple in our house this winter. It IS quite messy but I find sweeping it up doesn’t take too long. You could consider having them take this sensory bin in the bathtub as well. Then you can just rinse the snow away when they are done. If you need more sensory bin ideas, check out these ideas on Pinterest.

Make homemade playdough – this activity is secretly two activities in one. Toddlers LOVE helping with the actual making of the playdough, and then they get to play with it when it is done.

Make hot chocolate – much like the playdough, kids love being able to help out in the kitchen. This simple recipe is toddler friendly, plus they will love drinking it when you’re done. You can make it from scratch OR you can just use an instant mix. Your toddler will be perfectly happy either way!

Workbooks with winter themed activities

Lately, I’ve been gathering a few items into a basket that will either keep my toddler busy OR will support her in learning academic skills with a little help. I typically include some crayons, some coloring pages, some activity pages (right now I help her complete these, but when she is a little older, she will be able to do them on her own), and a few library books.

I created this affordable winter themed printable workbook so you can have some preschool level worksheets for your toddlers ready to go!

Click here to purchase this cute winter themed preschool printable workbook.

Pretend Play

Here are some creative ways to incorporate open-ended and imaginative play into your fun indoor activities:

Build an obstacle course in your living room or play space – this can be a fun way to help your kids build those essential motor skills in a safe way. Plus it is an easy way to help them burn off some energy, which can be tricky during the cold winter months. Another fun idea as part of your obstacle course is to use painter’s tape and create a giant snowflake on your floor and see if your kids can carefully walk the lines without falling off!

Build a cardboard play house – if you have a large cardboard box, cut out a door and some basic windows, then let your kids go to town with markers, crayons, stickers, and anything you have lying around that they can use to decorate their house. Join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. People are regularly getting rid of big boxes from purchases in these groups and you can snag one for FREE for snowy days/rainy days.

Build a blanket fort – use couch cushions and blankets to build a small fort. Did you know that duct tape makes it hold up longer? (Perfect for those longer snow storms). These are a great open-ended play option to have set up where your toddler can read, play with their toys, watch a movie, etc. It will seem special and new when they get to do those things inside their fort.

Have a snowball fight – instead of real snow, try having an indoor snowball fight! Crumple pieces of paper or large folded socks into “snowballs” and let them go to town! Another idea with your pretend snowballs is to do a snow ball toss game into a hamper or box. How many snowballs can they get in? It would be fun to make hot chocolate paired with this activity. All the fun of an outdoor snowball fight without getting cold and wet on days when it is just too cold.

Indoor Games

Pull out the board games and card games – this is a winter staple and can be a fun way to work on turn taking, matching, rule following, etc. This activity isn’t as independent as some of the others on this list but I find my daughter always loves it when I make the time to sit down and play a game with her.

Do an adorable winter craft – one fun idea is to to gather up a bunch of your craft supplies into a bin and leave it completely open ended for them to create whatever comes to mind. Sometimes boredom is the perfect way to unlock creativity in your little ones. Here are some ideas for craft supplies you could include in your open-ended craft bin.

food coloring
pipe cleaners
toilet paper rolls
watercolor paints
piece of paper
painter’s tape
pom poms
cookie cutters
rubber bands
glue sticks

If you’re looking for winter themed crafts that are a little more structured, here are a few fun ideas you could try:

watercolor painting salt snowflakes
torn paper snowflakes
make snow paint out of elmer’s glue and shaving creme
fill a bin up with ice and let them ice paint with watercolors or washable paint (bonus that this is super easy clean up!)

indoor toddler activities to do out of the house

While it may be too cold to play outside, sometimes we need fun indoor activity ideas that still allow us to get out of the house. These can be a fun way for your toddler to gain new experiences and get rid of their cabin fever. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Aquarium – My family is lucky enough to have an aquarium pass that my in-laws gifted us and I am so thankful! This is one of my daughter’s favorite activities to go do. Plus, ours has an indoor playground which is always a great activity to burn off energy. If you live in a very cold area, investing in a yearly pass somewhere can be well worth the money. (They typically go on sale around Black Friday!)

Children’s Museum or your local Natural History museum – In my area, we have a couple of different museums that are toddler friendly. They regularly have discount (or even free) days if you’re trying to be budget friendly with your fun winter activities!

Indoor play gym – sometimes these are called indoor playgrounds or play cafes. Most of them have an area for bigger kids, and an area just for toddlers so if you have kids at different ages, this can be a great option!

Train ride – little boys especially love this but my daughter is also enamored by anything with wheels. In our area, we can actually ride our local public transit train as a way to go to a new area and explore and it is a fun way to change it up.

Library visit – have you checked out your library’s calendar lately? There are a lot of fun (and free!) activities going on for toddlers. Storytime, puppet shows, arts and crafts, dance classes, etc. These can be a great way for your toddler to try a new activity without having to invest in signing them up for a class before they’re ready. Plus, you don’t even need a library card to go.

Indoor ice skating – still cold, but at least in my area, the indoor ice rinks aren’t AS cold as the weather outside.

This post was all about the best ideas for indoor winter activities for toddlers, both to do at home as well as to do out of the house! Comment below – what are some of your favorite ways to keep your toddlers and young children busy during the cold winter months?