Outdoor Christmas Activities for Families

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.