Looking for winter activities for kids at daycare Calgary to keep them engaged and learning? This article offers a range of fun and educational ideas perfect for the winter months. From creating fake snow to winter-themed crafts, discover activities that spark creativity and enhance motor skills.
Winter-Themed Art Projects
Winter-themed art projects spark creativity and imagination in children. These indoor activities keep kids entertained while they explore various artistic techniques and materials.
Whether it’s painting snowflakes or creating bird feeders, these projects provide endless opportunities for sensory exploration and fine motor skill development.

1. Painting Snowflakes
Painting snowflakes offers a magical experience for kids. Using craft sticks to create snowflakes encourages color mixing and fine motor activities. Tools like cookie cutters can enhance the experience, allowing children to create various shapes and sizes.
Adding small decorations can further stimulate their artistic expression, imaginative play and sensory experiences.
2. Creating Bird Feeders
Combining art with environmental awareness, creating bird feeders is a fantastic activity. Kids can make pinecone bird feeders by smearing pinecones with peanut butter and rolling them in birdseed, which supports local wildlife.
Muffin bird feeders or log suet feeders also offer creative options. Hanging these feeders outside lets children observe and learn about visiting birds during winter.
4. Decorating a Christmas Tree
Decorating a Christmas tree with handmade ornaments is a cherished winter activity. Encourage children to make their own ornaments, allowing them to express their individual styles and creativity. This activity not only promotes imagination but also makes the tree decorating process more meaningful and enjoyable for the kids.
Indoor Nature Exploration
Indoor nature exploration brings the wonders of the outdoors inside, especially during colder months. These activities offer children a unique way to explore nature and deepen their understanding of the environment.
Simulating a winter scene with fake snow or crafting bird feeders from natural materials are a few ways to engage kids in nature-themed activities.
5. Building a Miniature Winter Forest
Building a miniature winter forest can be a delightful project. With fake snow, small figurines, and natural items like twigs and pinecones, kids can create their own winter wonderland.
This activity allows for personalized and imaginative setups, fostering creativity and a love for nature.

6. Nature-Themed Story Time
Nature-themed story time enhances children’s imagination and understanding of the environment. Include winter-themed stories that connect with nature, helping kids explore their creativity while learning.
Storytelling sessions offer rich opportunities for imaginative play and deeper engagement with the natural world.
Active Play Indoors
Keeping children active indoors during winter is crucial. Active play helps a child stay fit and develop physical skills and coordination.
Activities like obstacle courses and dance games ensure kids remain physically active and entertained even when they can’t play outside.
7. Indoor Obstacle Courses
Indoor obstacle courses keep kids entertained and active. Using household items like pillows, chairs, and blankets, create a fun and challenging course. These courses enhance gross motor skills like strength, balance, and coordination. Tailor challenges to skill levels for safety and enjoyment.
Active adult supervision during these activities is essential to prevent accidents and ensure safety. Close monitoring helps avoid unsafe play, ensuring a fun and safe experience for the kids.
8. Dance and Movement Games
Dance and movement games combine fun and exercise perfectly. Adding music encourages kids to express themselves and improves physical fitness.
Dance games develop rhythm, coordination, and social interaction, providing an enjoyable way to stay active indoors.
Educational Winter Programs
Educational winter programs keep preschool engaged while promoting learning and development through a preschool program. We also do like to do educational programs at our locations Seton, Country Hills and Sage Hill. These structured programs include indoor activities that enhance sensory experiences, fine motor skills, and educational learning.
From language development to STEM projects, these programs offer valuable learning opportunities during winter.
9. Language Development Activities
Integrate language development activities into winter-themed programs. Stories and songs about winter can enhance vocabulary and comprehension. Activities like describing a snowman using synonyms build language skills through fun and interactive experiences.
10. STEM Learning Projects
Winter-themed STEM projects offer hands-on learning that sparks creativity and curiosity. Simple experiments like observing ice melting or building a snow volcano introduce basic scientific principles. Activities like the Polar Bear Blubber Experiment help children understand Arctic animal adaptations.
Creative Imagination Stations
Creative imagination stations foster creativity and imaginative play. Setting up themed stations allows children to explore sensory activities and engage in role-playing, offering endless opportunities to express creativity and develop imagination.
11. Winter Dress-Up Corner
A winter dress-up corner can be an exciting addition. Costumes like snowmen, penguins, and winter animals stimulate imaginative play, allowing children to act out seasonal narratives. This setup enhances role-playing and makes indoor activities more engaging and fun.

12. Puppet Shows
Puppet shows entertain kids while developing language and storytelling skills. Organizing winter-themed puppet shows stimulates creativity and enhances language abilities.
These shows offer a fun, interactive way for children to explore their imagination and storytelling skills.
Week-Long Winter Themes
Week-long winter themes keep children engaged and excited throughout the season. These themes offer structured learning experiences with activities focused on seasonal topics.
From snow and ice to winter animals, each week presents new and exciting opportunities for fun and learning.
13. Snow and Ice Week
Snow and Ice Week features activities that enhance gross motor skills and offer hands-on experiences with snow and ice. Games like ‘Topple the Snowman’ and ‘Sneaking Through a Snow Storm’ let kids enjoy winter-themed play indoors while developing physical skills. Educational games like Snowman Number Match support early math skills by integrating counting into fun activities.
Creating crystal snowflake ornaments and building marshmallow igloos offer engaging, hands-on learning experiences. These activities keep kids entertained while teaching them about the properties of snow and ice in a fun and interactive way.
14. Winter Animals Week
Winter Animals Week teaches children about wildlife that thrives in cold weather. Activities like creating bird feeders from natural materials help children learn about the needs of birds during winter. Making these feeders encourages observation of visiting birds and fosters empathy and responsibility towards nature.
Discussions on how animals survive and find food in the snow enhance learning and deepen understanding of winter ecosystems.
Parent and Family Involvement
Involving parents and families in winter activities at daycare fosters community and enhances children’s development. Organizing family craft days where parents join their children in creating winter-themed crafts promotes creativity and bonding.
Take-home projects encourage families to collaborate on educational tasks, reinforcing learning and creativity at home. Ongoing communication between daycare and families about winter activities supports sustained engagement and effective collaboration.
15. Family Craft Days
Family craft days offer a wonderful opportunity for parents to join their children in fun, creative activities that enhance bonding and engagement. These days can include winter-themed art projects like painting snowflakes, creating bird feeders, and decorating a Christmas tree. Involving families in these activities fosters creativity, reinforces learning, and deepens family bonds.
Take-home projects extend the crafting experience to home, enabling families to continue their creative journey together.
16. Take-Home Projects
Take-home projects offer families opportunities to collaborate on learning activities, reinforcing skills and creativity at home. These projects enhance family interaction by encouraging cooperative learning and creative expression.
By enabling families to work together on educational tasks, take-home activities support daycare lessons and promote continuous learning and engagement.
Safety Tips for Winter Activities
Safety is paramount in winter activities, whether indoors or outdoors. Proper supervision and safe use of materials prevent accidents, ensuring a fun and secure environment for children.
Consider these essential safety tips.
Supervision Guidelines
Supervision is crucial during indoor activities to ensure safety. Establish clear safety rules and closely monitor the kids to prevent accidents. Ensure all materials and tools are safe for children to use.
Safe Use of Materials
Instruct children on safely handling tools and materials during winter crafts to prevent accidents. Use tube-shaped neck warmers instead of scarves to avoid strangulation, and ensure jackets do not have drawstrings for safety.
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