Ways to (Try to) Enjoy Winter with Your Kids

If you’re like me, you are trying to find ways to cope with the doldrums of winter and, at the same time, survive these dark and cold days with kids jumping off the walls.

I live in Minnesota, where we have some of the worst winters in the lower 48 states. Being proactive about fending off the inevitable cabin fever and seasonal depression is a big goal for me this year, so I’ve put together a list of ideas to help you (and me!) enjoy winter with your kids (or at least try to!), while you count the days until spring comes.

Me calculating the days till spring. . .

Embrace the concept of hygge: I read the The Little Book of Hygge this past fall. Hygge has often been defined as “the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.” This book reminded me to honor this dark and cold period of the year: More togetherness, good food, soft lighting, interesting books, and cuddles with family, friends, and fur babies.

More baking and hands-on projects: Some of my kids’ favorite things this winter have been making baked oatmeal, homemade playdough, and banana bread. My preteen daughter is learning to cook, so I let her try out easy recipes, like chicken thighs in the air fryer.

More board games and puzzles: My kids have been enjoying games like Hedbanz, What Do You Meme, and Outfoxed. We are also teaching them classic games, like checkers, Uno, and Sorry. My son is incredibly active and always on the move, so he enjoys more active games like Drone Home. And, there’s also something about puzzles that keeps him engaged and interested, excited for us to complete the image together.

Dance parties: On really cold nights, we like to turn on a bubble maker in our living room, turn the lights down low, and dance together to old hip hop classics and electronica. Sometimes even Disney music. The kids love to show off their moves and enjoy when we get silly with them.

Scavenger Hunts: I learned how to create original scavenger hunts for my little sister back in the 90’s, so I’ve dusted off that old skill and used it to make fun scavenger hunts for my kids around the house. I write out rhyming clues that they have to solve to take them to the next place, and then I hide candy or small toys as a prize at the end (or a ticket for a small experience gift, like a trip out to a coffee shop for hot chocolate). If you don’t have the energy to write or create your own scavenger hunt, there are some good templates available on Etsy.

Indoor active play: During the COVID shutdowns, our family invented a game called “Stairball,” where one of the kids sits at the top of the stairs, a parent at the bottom, and we each try to get a ball past the other person to get points. It often devolves into a silly, diagonal game of catch. But we also play hide and seek, or spend time jumping on an old mattress or small trampoline to get the wiggles out.

Cuddle together: Whether it’s family movie night or a Saturday morning when we all pile under the covers in bed, we love to cuddle up together to stay warm and make memories in the winter. My kids love to connect with us through touch, so sometimes I take a few moments in the evening and cuddle with my six-year-old on the couch and play Roblox for a while.

Learn together: We enjoy going down YouTube or TikTok rabbit holes to learn about all kinds of topics: history, art, travel, pottery, food, etc. It’s nice to nourish our brains a little bit together. For example, here are a couple of our favorite history channels on YouTube: Captivating History and OverSimplified (appropriate for ages 8-10 and up).

Play video games: I’m absolutely terrible at video games, but my kids enjoy beating me in Mario Kart or JustDance on Switch, and they always try to invite me to adventures in Minecraft or Roblox. I do my best to play for a bit before I get too motion sick from the graphics.

Open Air Life: The Swedish philosophy of frutliftsluv (embracing the outdoors) The Open Air Life, the complementary philosophy to hygge is the next book on my list! Frutliftsluv is the belief that spending time outdoors all year round is beneficial to our health, especially our mental health. We try to spend time sledding, skating, tubing, playing in the snow whenever we can. (Sometimes it’s hard to bundle up and get out the door though!)

Going to the library: Here in Minneapolis, we are lucky to have two libraries equidistant from our home, and many more throughout the diverse neighborhoods of the city. We enjoy exploring new libraries and checking out the kids’ areas, which offer scavenger hunts, playsets, imagination games, computers, and so much more.

Playdates with friends: Whenever we can, it’s nice to have my kids’ friends over to our house, or go out in the community so they can have some memorable time together. Also, my husband and I try to take the time to have our own “playdates” with friends for coffee or drinks, to help keep us sane.

Indoor playgrounds: We are fortunate that most suburban community centers in the Twin Cities metro have amazing indoor playgrounds, like this one. And we also love the Minnesota Children’s Museum!

Swimming at indoor pools: We are lucky to live down the street from a community center with an indoor pool. We’ve only visited two in the metro area so far this winter, but there are about ten more that we are hoping to check out soon! I love how quickly my kids crash at night after spending hours in the pool that day.

Creative mall visits: We enjoy going window shopping and exploring new malls or stores. For example, we went to a nearby furniture store the other night and just tried out their couches and beds! (You know, as a busy mom, I took time to try the massage chairs too.) Another local mall has cool interactive spaces to take photos or for kids to burn off steam.

Overall, try to remember to. . .

Make simple memories: Our family has a weird habit of quoting or singing Tiktok sounds to each other. Ones like “It’s Corn!” endlessly, and then we crack up laughing together.

Be present: Our kids often ask us to cuddle or give hugs, and as much as I can, I try to stop what I’m doing and connect with them when they ask for connection. These are the moments that they will remember when they are grown.

Take breaks for yourself! I am working hard to go to the gym, eat well, read books, go on “self-dates” out of the house, meet up with friends, and get enough sleep. My kids need to have more than a burned out and frazzled mama. And I need that too!

Prioritize self-care & community: You know the drill: Vitamin D. Exercise. Sleep. Coffee with friends (no kids!). Dates with your partner. Don’t forget to take care of your body and your spirit during these dark months.

Acknowledge that this too will pass: When winter feels too long or too overwhelming, take a breather and start dreaming and making plans for spring and summer (garden, travel, outdoor activities, etc.). Like everything, this too shall pass.

Finally, let me be the first to say that this list is aspirational. There are so many weekends in winter when we lay in bed or on the couch and just binge shows and movies and Tiktoks.

Be kind to yourself this winter. Do what you can. Let yourself rest. Try to enjoy this time with loved ones. And then on those particularly cold days, take your vitamin D, and spend some time dreaming of the summer sunshine that’s right around the corner.