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Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families

November 11, 2020 by Sarita Harbour This post may contain affiliate links

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If your winters are anything like ours, chances are you'll have at least one family member who doesn't want to venture outside one day. Or more than one day. Cold temperatures, biting winds, ice and snow can make December days tough to deal with.  That's why I created this free downloadable calendar of a month's worth of outdoor Christmas activities for families. You'll find a link to sign up for it down at the bottom ⬇️  of this post.

Parent skating on outdoor lake pushing child on a sled

Plan Your Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families

Fresh air and physical activity is an important part of good health. Yet today, many adults and children spend more time indoors than ever before. According to Yale University, a study of 12,000 children and adults found that more than 50% of Americans spend less than five hours a week outdoors. And once that temperature drops, it can be even more difficult to get inspired to go outdoors.

And if you homeschool and work from home as I do, online lessons, educational though they may be, mean more time sitting in front of a screen. 

So it would help if you had a plan. Schedule at least 45 minutes of outdoor time each day. If you work from home, this could mean your outdoor Christmas activities for families happen when you break for lunch. 

Related: 5 Simple Pioneer Christmas Activities

Got younger kids? Head out right after lunch. Forty-five minutes of fresh air will help prepare them for nap time.

Recently, our family had to self-isolate for a two-week stretch. My husband Dan and I took this opportunity to start a new habit of heading out for a hike with our 10-year-old and 7-year-old each day at 2:30 pm after their homeschool day was complete. 

Whatever your family's situation, introducing regular outdoor activity with a Christmas theme for the month is a fun way to start. And if you're working towards a green Christmas, you'll get a chance to gather some natural and recyclable Christmas decor too. Or supplies to make some rustic and pioneer Christmas crafts.

Dress Your Kids for Cold Weather

When you dress appropriately for the outdoors, it's easy for even the youngest children to enjoy the winter days.  Take care to make sure their feet and hands are extra warm, and if it's below freezing out, keep an eye out for frostbite.

We sometimes use plastic between two layers of socks to keep little feet warm. Handwarmers in mitts are also helpful. And a quick smear of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly high on the cheeks helps combat frostbite too.

Give your kids something to look forward to when they return. Maybe a hot chocolate and read-aloud time with an old-fashioned Christmas book for kids.  

Start a New Tradition with Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families

Although our family lives in the middle of nowhere (literally) and it's easy for us to run outside and get immersed in a snow-filled forest, not everyone has that opportunity. That's why this list includes a variety of outdoor activities.

Check it out, and then sign up to grab your free printable calendar. It includes each of these activities in a grid format to print out and post on the front of your fridge.

 

(Note: yes, I know there are 31 days in December and only 23 activities listed here. Include 7 "kids choice" days and let your children select their favorite outdoor Christmas activity for your family. You can see how I schedule them on the calendar.)

Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families

Use this list of outdoor Christmas activities for families to inspire your own family to spend at least an hour outdoors every weekday during December!

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Gather Pinecones

Bring a basket or cloth bag to collect pinecones big and small. Use them to make Christmas wreaths, paint them for ornaments or just toss them into a festive basket for a simple centerpiece.

Build a Snowman

Got snow? Grab a carrot, a couple of big black buttons, an old floppy hat and a scarf and get rolling! Building a snowman together (or even a snow family) will have the whole family pitching in and building a favorite memory.

Igloo-Building

In our area, igloo-building workshops happen every year. Get your kids excited by watching a few YouTube videos before building your own igloo in the backyard.

Make Snow Angels

Another traditional but oh-so-fun outdoor Christmas activity for families. Tip: skip this one on days when it is damp out. Packing snow is great for igloos and snowmen, but it makes pretty wet (and grumpy) snow angels.

Night Skies and the North Star

Can you see the stars in the night skies of your neighborhood? We're lucky enough to now live where we can see the Northern Lights on a regular basis. However, when we lived in the suburbs we would look for the North Star and read the Story of Christmas on December 21st each year.

Go Sledding

Now, this is just plain fun for families with kids of all ages! Head to your local hill or venture further afield for an afternoon of tobogganing.

Outdoor Skating

With many arenas closed due to social distancing restrictions, why not try outdoor skating for family fun over the Christmas holidays? Better yet, if you have space, flood your own rink. (We have a lake - yes, we're lucky!)

Gather Boughs 

Who else loves the smell of fresh-cut cedar, spruce or pine boughs? Younger children can run ahead and find pretty branches while bigger kids or parents can do the cutting.

Christmas-Lights Walk

Check out your local parks, churches, or public areas websites to find the closest Christmas Lights display. Or simply go for a stroll through your neighborhood one evening to find the ones you like best.

Find The Red Things

This is a simple yet fun outdoor activity that even toddlers can enjoy. Just start counting all the red things you see. Whoever finds the most gets to pick the night's dinner, movie, or dessert.

Outdoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Now here's another family favorite with oh-so-many variations! Scavenger hunts are fun all year - especially when you get to head outside. Head over to Pinterest to find a few options best suited to your location and your kids' ages.

Winter Foraging

If you've followed me for any length of time you know we forage as part of our regular homeschooling, homesteading, and self-reliance lifestyle. Yet you might be surprised to discover that you can forage in the winter too! Search online before for winter foraging in your area before heading out. In our neck of the woods we can gather Labrador Tea, rosehips, a variety of frozen berries, pine and spruce needles for Christmas crafts too.

Scrape Pine Gum 

Our older kids have enjoyed spotting pine gum when we've been out for winter walks, and even used their utility knives to scrape the gum off the bark. While some people chew it as-is, I'm happy to use it to add a pretty, Christmasy scent to a pot of water on the wood stove.

Count the Winter Birds

What winter birds do you see in your area? We get crows, ptarmigans, and grouse through the winter, and occasionally even see an eagle or two. Take your binoculars and show your children how to watch for pigeons, or other winter birds. Another option? Look out for adventurous squirrels, mice, or chipmunks. We've seen them - even in December!

Choose a Christmas Tree

Even city families likely have the option to visit an outdoor Christmas tree market, so bundle up your gang and head out!

Make Maple Syrup Snow Candy

Even though this is usually reserved for a March maple-tree-tapping treat, we have indeed made maple syrup snow candy on a stick in December.

Look for Animal Tracks

Here's another fun outdoor Christmas activity for the whole family - looking for animal tracks. In particular, look out for reindeer tracks - after all, they do have to practice before their big night. This is a good opportunity for kids to learn about other animal tracks. We used our tracking sheets from our Think Outside Boxes Nature Box one year - it was a hit!

Examine Snow Flakes Up Close

Head outdoors for a science lesson disguised as a fun family Christmas activity. That's right - you're going to use a magnifying glass to examine snowflakes up close. Use these as inspiration for making paper snowflakes if you're looking for a 15-minute Christmas activity too.

Winter Wiener Roast

One of my favorite Christmas memories as a child was when my dad would let us roast wieners over an open fire on a snowy day back in our woods. Such great memories - even the tweens and teens in our family always loved doing this.

Practice Fire Starting

If your family is anything like ours, you want your children to not only enjoy the outdoors but know how to take care of themselves. That's why our kids have wilderness survival kits with age-appropriate tools, such as firestarters. However, you could always make a homemade fire starter then use it outdoors to get that Christmas wiener roast happening!

Navigate to a Christmas Gift

Get your kids practicing their outdoor navigation skills by using a compass and coordinates to find their early Christmas present. (Note: start this outdoors but you could actually have the present in your house. As in under the tree. So gifts don't get damaged. Or eaten by wildlife.)

Decorate an Outdoor Tree or Shrub

Do your kids have chores? Ours do, but they always seem to prefer doing chores together as a family rather than independently. Decorating an outdoor tree or shrub on your front porch, balcony, or your front yard is a fun seasonal outdoor "chore" and an outdoor Christmas family activity too.

Hang Your Christmas Lights!

Kids of all ages have helped us organize and hang Christmas lights outdoors. Even our preschoolers could shout instructions from the ground! Yes, it might be faster for mom or dad to hang those lights on their own. But when kids "help" they're really learning about outdoor Christmas traditions and activities that matter to your family - and making memories to carry for a lifetime.

Want More Ideas for Christmas Activities?

One more thing! Are you looking for some other Christmas activities? Maybe a few indoor ones?

Each year I’m on the hunt for creative, hands-on, or unusual Christmas activities. This year, I had the good fortune to team up with some of my fellow homeschool bloggers to bring you some super cool Christmas Activities for Kids. Check them out here. 

Looking for a way to incorporate the holidays into your homeschool science lessons? Here you go!  See these  Holiday-Themed Science Projects from Homeschool On the Range.

Your kids won’t mind math at all with this  Christmas Cakes One More One Less Printable Worksheet from The Art Kit.

Find new favorites for December games night with these Christmas-Twisted Classic Board Games from The WOLFe Pack.

Make family memories by baking and creating these Gingerbread Nativities from Hess Un-Academy.

Here’s an idea  I just love -  a hands-on activity making practical DIY Firestarter Gifts from Making Room 4 One More.

This Woodland Birds Ornament from Heart and Soul Homeschooling brings a touch of the woodland forest to your Christmas decorations.

Want something completely different this holiday season? Try a few ideas from  Cultural Family Night: Christmas edition from Stand Up, Reach Out.

Need a few  Easy, Cheap, Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids?  Here are some creative tips from Julie Naturally.

In just one word, what does Christmas mean to your children? Find out when they make this Scrabble Tile Christmas Ornament post from I Choose Joy!

Curious about starting an Advent Tree tradition? Learn more at Simple Christmas Family Traditions: An Advent Tree from Whole Child Homeschool.

Keep your Christmas simple with this Handprint Candy Cane Ornament tutorial from Homegrown Motherhood.

Are you a working homeschool mom who barely has time to brush her teeth, let alone plan Christmas activities? If so, Head over to Thrive at Home to grab your free calendar full of Simple Christmas Activities that take just 15-30 minutes each day.  

Got a kid who loves to build and create? They’ll love this  Nativity Set for Kids to Make and Play With from Orison Orchards.

Or keep things simple with a manger set tutorial as seen here -   How to make a fork painted manger set from Our Crazy Adventures In Autismland.

And finally,  this simple Heart Nativity Paper Craft from My Joy-Filled Life is a fun way to share the story of Baby Jesus’s birth with your preschool children. 

Like this post? Save it for later and share it with a friend!

Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families text overlay on image of kids sledding in winter

31 Outdoor Christmas Family Activities text overlay on image of family skating

This post is part of the Homestead Blog Hop #314!

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About Sarita Harbour

Sarita is the owner and founder of An Off Grid Life. She lives with her family in an off the grid cabin outside of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories. Her days are full homeschooling, writing, and learning how to be more self sufficient.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Craft Attic Resources

    November 18, 2020 at 8:52 am

    Great ideas!!

    Reply
  2. Ann @ Live The Old Way

    November 18, 2020 at 7:17 am

    This is a great list! Your post has been chosen as one of our features this week on the Homestead Blog Hop #315!

    Reply
  3. Dee | Grammy's Grid

    November 18, 2020 at 3:10 am

    All fun things, building a snowman, making snow angels, hanging lights, love it all! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 34 for All Things Christmas. Shared.

    Reply
  4. Laurie Cover

    November 16, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    I like your list.
    I mostly like it because it’s simple, old-fashioned ideas. I get weary of overdone activities. Simple is just refreshing.

    Thank you for sharing at the Homestead Blog Hop!

    Blessings!
    Laurie
    https://www.ridgehavenhomestead.com

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Sarita! My family and I live off the grid in a cabin in Canada's Northwest Territories. We're learning about self-reliance in a cold climate. Read More…

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