40+ Winter Boredom Busters for Toddlers & Preschoolers (Low-Prep, Indoor & Outdoor Fun!)

Beat winter boredom with 40 easy, low-prep activities for toddlers and preschoolers! Fun indoor ideas, outdoor snow play, crafts, sensory bins + more. Perfect for long winter days. Save this list for your next cozy at-home day!

image shows a child with snowflakes and blog post title

When cold weather hits and little kids are suddenly inside a lot more, winter boredom shows up fast. If you’re a parent of toddlers or preschoolers, you already know:

Winter days feel very long when your kids are stuck indoors.

But here’s the good news: Winter is full of cozy, creative, low-prep ways to play. You don’t need fancy supplies, complicated crafts, or hours of setup. Just simple activities you can pull together while your coffee is still hot.

This list of 40 Winter Boredom Busters for Toddlers & Preschoolers is packed with easy indoor activities, sensory ideas, warm-and-cozy crafts, and fun ways to burn energy when it’s too cold to go anywhere. I’ve also included some outdoor ideas too for when it’s cold but still beautiful outside. These ideas are intentionally designed for little attention spans, tired grownups, and real-life winter days.

If you love this one, be sure to check out our Summer Boredom Busters and Fall Boredom Busters too — because you deserve a season of activities that actually feel manageable.

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Indoor Winter Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

These warm and cozy activities are perfect for cold winter days inside.

Snowy Cotton Ball Scoop: Dump cotton balls into a bin, add spoons and small bowls, and let them “scoop snow.”
Build a Cozy Reading Fort: Grab blankets, pillows, twinkle lights, and a stack of winter books.
Winter Sensory Bin: Use rice, pom poms, scoops, and toy animals to create a winter wonderland.
Hot Cocoa Play Kitchen: Give them empty cocoa packets, mugs, spoons, and cotton balls as “marshmallows.”
Indoor Ice Skating: Put wax paper or felt under their socks and let them “skate” around the carpet.
Frozen Pom Pom Rescue: Freeze pom poms in ice cubes and let kids melt them with warm water and droppers.
Stickers + Construction Paper: When in doubt… stickers always win. Create winter scenes or “decorate” a snowman.
Window Gel Clings: Cheap, reusable, mess-free. Set them up on a window and let kids rearrange endlessly.
Winter Playdough Invitation: Add cookie cutters, buttons, beads, cupcake liners, and cinnamon for a seasonal feel.
Indoor Snowball Fight: Crumple white tissue paper or use soft plush balls. Zero mess, maximum giggles.
Make a Winter Sensory Bottle: Glitter glue + water + sequins = calming magic.
Bake Snowflake Cookies: Bake them from scratch or use a sugar cookie dough from the store. For toddlers, let them help pour and mix. Then use cookie cutters to create your perfect cookies!
Cocoa + Cartoons Morning: A special winter tradition — not fancy, but memorable.
Winter Scavenger Hunt Indoors: Look for easy things like mittens, a book with snow, something warm, something blue, etc.
DIY Hot Chocolate Bar: Mini marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate chips — nothing fancy needed.
Winter Dance Party: Freeze dance + winter playlist = instant fun.
Holly Jolly Cafe: While a little bit seasonal, this dramatic play printable makes it fun and easy to help your kids create their own cozy holiday café—complete with colorful menus, festive signs, play money, pretend food and more.
Indoor Obstacle Course: Pillows, tunnels, tape lines — great for burning energy.
Sensory Bathtime: Add bath color, scoops, floating snowflakes, or ice cubes for contrast.
Family Movie Day: Pair with blankets, popcorn, and a winter-themed movie.

Low-Prep Winter Crafts That Actually Work for Little Kids

Contact Paper Snowflakes: Stick contact paper (sticky side up) to a table and let kids add tissue paper pieces.
Paper Plate Snowman: Paper plates, markers, glue, and scraps — instant winter fun.
Handprint Mittens: Trace hands, decorate with crayons or stickers, and hang them as winter décor.
Puffy Paint Snow: Mix shaving cream + glue for the fluffiest snow paint.
Q-Tip Snowstorm Art: Kids dip Q-tips in white paint and dot “snowflakes” across blue paper.
Winter Nature Collage: Collect sticks, leaves, and pine needles. Glue them onto cardboard for earthy art.
Coffee Filter Snowflakes: Fold, snip, unfold. They’re the classic winter craft! Learn how to make coffee filter snowflakes here.
Grinch Crafts: Because no matter what point of winter you’re in, the Grinch is ALWAYS funny to little kids. Here are a bunch of great Grinch crafts to try!
Paper Strip Snowflakes: Simple scissor practice for preschoolers.
Icicle Paint Drips: Let watered-down paint drip down paper taped vertically for a cool frozen effect.

family on a nature walk outside during the winter

Outdoor Winter Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Quick, Easy & Fun)

While it’s always cozier to play inside, these ideas are perfect for those chilly winter days where the kids keep saying “mom, I’m bored!” outside.

Paint the Snow: Fill spray bottles with water + food coloring and let kids create.
Snow Volcano: Baking soda + vinegar + snow = magic.
Snow Kitchen: Give them pots, pans, spoons, and let them “cook.”
Nature Treasure Hunt: Find pinecones, sticks, rocks, berries (don’t eat), and seasonal treasures.
Make Ice Ornaments: Freeze water with leaves or berries in muffin tins and hang outside.
Frozen Bubble Experiment: Blow bubbles on freezing days and watch them crystallize.
Winter Bird Watching: Make simple bird feeders and track which birds visit.
Snow Maze: Shovel or stomp a path for kids to follow and explore.
Bundle Up + Go to the Playground: Even 15 minutes of outdoor movement makes a huge difference.
Winter Nature “I Spy”: Create a quick list of items to find — pine tree, stick, bird, footprints, etc.

If you love this list of winter activities for kids, be sure to check out:

Final Thoughts: Winter Fun Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Winter with toddlers and preschoolers is a lot — short days, cold weather, and endless energy indoors. But with a few simple boredom busters, you can transform long winter days into playful, cozy, connection-filled moments.

Whether you’re crafting, exploring outdoors, or keeping it simple with indoor play, these winter activities are all about easy wins for tired parents and big fun for little kids.

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