Toddlers need to remain active during the cold months. Instead of staying cooked up indoors watching cartoons, painting, or building with Legos, parents should occasionally suit up their toddlers for fun outdoor winter activities. There are several toddler-friendly activities parents and toddlers can engage in, and we have compiled 14 of the best.
14 Build A Snowman
Playing in the snow is always incomplete without a snowman in the picture. So, take your toddler outside and build one. You first need to roll a snowball then pack it with snow. Wet snow works best as it is stickier. Roll the ball to get the desired size before working on the second snowball. Tightly pack the second snowball, but it should be smaller than the first. You can choose to build a snowman with 2 or 3 snowballs. Once the snowballs are done, add pebbles and a carrot for the nose. You can encourage your toddler’s creativity by allowing him to dress the snowman.
13 Snow Scavenging Hunt
Bring the fun home by having a snow scavenger hunt in your backyard. How? The effortless way is by leaving your toddler's toys outside before a snowstorm. The storm will do the trick for you and hide the toys for you. Then have your baby looking for them. Alternatively, you could hide the toys in the snow yourself. Bottom line; congratulate your child each time he discovers his toys.
12 Snow Shovelling
You probably hate the idea of shovelling snow. But did you know it could make a great toddler activity? Toddlers enjoy imitation as well as helping out, and snow shovelling can accomplish both. Instead of shovelling snow by yourself, buy your toddler a small snow shovel and let him help out. Although your baby will not push off any snow, he will enjoy his outdoor time.
11 Tossing Snow Balls
Another great outdoor activity you can engage your toddler in is tossing snowballs. You only need to have a bucket and snowballs. To make it more interesting, you can decorate the bucket. Then place the bucket a few feet away from your toddler and toss the snowballs in. cheer your baby every time he scores.
10 Play With Snow Balls
You could also try playing with snowballs. First, you need to teach your toddler how to roll a snowball. Lucky for you, he will grasp this concept quite fast. Then stack up the snowballs before knocking them over. The ability to assemble and disassemble the balls will be fascinating to your baby.
9 Catching Snowflakes
Catching snowflakes is a great outdoor activity that will engage your toddler. You do not need prior preparation for this activity. With your mittens, tongue, and eyelashes, you can run around catching the falling snowflakes.
8 Go Sledding
Did you know you can create mini-hill sledding in your home? Grab your snow shovel and stack a pile of snow. Then create a gentle slope for your toddler to sled on. This will keep your baby entertained in the snow.
7 Snow Painting
Snow painting is a fun indoor and outdoor toddler-friendly activity. Find a spray bottle, pop bottle, or watering can then fill it with water and a few drops of food color. Your toddler will enjoy experimenting when spraying paint over snow. To make the activity last longer, ensure the water empties slowly.
6 Drawing In Snow
Snow provides a great learning surface for your toddler. Using a stick, write letters or numbers in the snow, then let your baby do the same.
5 Making Snow Imprints
Help your toddler find objects with imprints and stack them in snow. They could be food containers, cups, or toy trucks. The idea is to get an impression of the item once it is pressed in snow and capture a memory.
4 Fort Building
As a parent, you probably have built several snow forts while growing up. Now is the time to instill this skill in your toddler. Besides, your baby will use his hands and feet to build the walls, thereby improving his gross motor skills. You can include a snowman or flags once the fort is ready.
3 Build A Snow Maze
A snow maze will take up much of your time and outdoor space creating but will be worth it. Using a shovel, create a path that your toddler will walk on when finding his way through the maze.
2 Watch Snow Clearing
Although this is not a hands-on activity, it will cheer up your toddler. Watching a snowplow truck clearing and picking snow from the road will keep him entertained. He will also have a documentary for you explaining in detail what the winter service vehicle did.
1 Go to the Park
Visit the park once in a while to change the environment. Although the park will be covered with snow, your toddler will still enjoy his outdoor time.
Sources: Bounce Back Parenting, Hands On As We Grow, Hands On As We Grow, Take Them Outside.