Warm Memories: 12 Cozy Ideas for Family Bonding

It’s winter break for kids. For many, it’s a time filled with holidays and activities but it’s also a beautiful time to just STOP and spend quality time with your kids. These moments are precious. Don’t forget to build memories that they will look back on as adults.

10 ideas to fill your winter break with love

1. Hot Cocoa and Storytime:

   • After a day in the cold, warm up with some hot cocoa. Cozy up around the fire and read a book or poem. Here are some great winter & Christmas Classics with beautiful language to make your children’s hearts sing.

     • "Winter Song" by William Shakespeare

     • "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost "

     • A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

     • "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg

     • "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore

     • "Christmas Bells" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

     • "Snowflakes" by Emily Dickinson

     • "Winter-Time" by Robert Louis Stevenson

     • "The Nutcracker" by E.T.A. Hoffmann

     • "Winter Poem" by Nikki Giovanni

     • "Little Tree" by E.E. Cummings

     • "Ring Out, Wild Bells" by Alfred Lord Tennyson

     • "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess

2. Winter Nature Walk & Scavenger Hunt:

   • Bundle up and take a nature walk in a nearby park or wooded area. Create a scavenger hunt of items you’ll find in your area like pinecones, icicles, animal tracks or winter berries. If you live in a neighborhood, you can add things like snowmen or house decorations. Whatever you do, just enjoy being in the cool, crisp air.

3. Indoor Fort Building:

   • There are few things more fun than building a fort with your kids!!! I find ones in the middle of your living room the best - some people even fashion them out of their dining tables. Make it cozy with winter blankets and pillows. Make sure to spend time inside reading books or playing board games as a family.

     

4. Baking Day:

   • Spend a day baking together! Kids LOVE to bake. When you have extra time with them, find recipes that they can easily make. Muffins and Biscuits come to mind but my kids also love cooking real stuff like egg scrambles

   • If you don’t feel like the extra sugar, you can always make salt dough ornaments which involve rolling out, using cookie cutters, and then painting! HERE’s one recipe option.

5. Winter Crafts:

   • Set up a crafting station at home and work on winter-themed crafts together. We just did this with our friends and it was a true delight! The top favorite was Holiday puppets (see below). These couldn’t be easier! Just print winter themed cutout, color, and put onto popsicle sticks! Other ideas include paper snowflakes (also in picture), winter wreaths, or crafting homemade ornaments (see above under baking). THESE have great free crafts online including the two pictured below.

     

6. Bird Feeder Making:

   • Birds need a little extra help in the winter so help your kids make simple bird feeders using pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Hang them outside and observe the visiting birds. Make sure that you use proper birdseed to help keep your local birds healthy and strong!

7. Winter Stargazing:

   • You know there is something special about getting all snuggled up and sitting looking up at the night sky. Find a clear winter nights, bundle up and go stargazing. Point out constellations or simply enjoy the beauty of the night sky.

8. Snowy Day Photography:

   • Give your kids a camera or smartphone and encourage them to take pictures of the winter landscape. Create a winter photo album together. If you want to get fancy, print their photos and have them use paint or other mediums like gem stones, or real winter leaves to make them 3D.

     

9. Winter Olympics at Home:

   • Organize a mini Winter Olympics in your backyard. Events can include snowball tossing, snowman building, or a short sled race. You can do this around your house too! We especially love obstacle courses!

10. Family Storytelling:

    • Sit by the fireplace or under a cozy blanket and take turns telling winter-themed stories. This can be a wonderful way to encourage creativity and imagination of your littles

11. Ice Globes:

    • Fill balloons with water and let them freeze. Once frozen, remove the balloon, leaving an ice globe. If you want to get fancy, place a candle inside for a magical, glowing ice lantern.

12. DIY Winter Garden:

    • Plant winter-friendly seeds indoors, like pansies or winter herbs. Care for the plants together and watch them grow. It’s a great way to teach biology, love of plant-life, and bring some color into your lives.

      

These are just some ideas to get you thinking of ways to be together as a family. These years with your kids are PRECIOUS.

Cherish them. They grow up fast.

With Love,

~Dr. Clara (aka Hippy Mom)