71 Fun Frugal or FREE Winter Activities- Indoors and Out!

Well, Winter is here andwe have 71 Fun Frugal or FREE Winter Activities- Indoors and Out! Winter can cause us all to want to hibernate, but there are so many things we can do to have fun, be creative and stay active this Winter.​

When you are trying to save money, it can often be hard finding activities for the whole family as well. Here are som family fun ideas that might inspire you.

71 Fun frugal or FREE WINTER ACTIVITIES – Indoors and Out!

These free or almost free winter activities are perfect for keeping kids and families days occupied while it is cold outside.

  1. Build a snow fort.
  2. Go cross country skiing (some communities have rental or free skis available at parks)
  3. Go sledding (on one of New Brunswick’s popular sledding hills!)
  4. Strap on your skates and go ice skating (Greater Moncton Outdoor Skating venues)
  5. Go ice fishing
  6. Make snow angels
  7. Make a homemade wind chime with twigs, pine cones, acorns, etc. (found around your yard)
  8. Go for a walk in your neighborhood or on a trail close by.
  9. Do frozen balloon experiments (Dinosaur Ice Eggs,  or Outdoor Ice Gems)
  10. Play with Bubbles outside (Frozen Bubbles)
  11. Build a Snow Volcano
  12. Make snow paintings with bottles filled with water, add a couple drops of food colouring.
  13. Make a snowman
  14. Decorate your snowman with clothing, found nature items or with bottles filled with water and a couple drops of food colouring.
  15. Let the kids experiment and Melt Ice with Salt and Baking Soda(can be done inside or out)
  16. Make Snow Ice Cream 
  17. Go on a scavenger hunt inside or outside.
  18. Look at and learn about the Stars (go outside at night and look at the stars, using a book or app, find various constellations)
  19. Camp in the back yard (winter camping can be a unique experience, plus if the weather changes you can always move indoors and “camp” on the floor)
  20. Build a bonfire to get warm while cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows (with adult supervision of course)
  21. Go bird watching 
  22. Learn how to safely build a fire
  23. Put together a Puzzle
  24. Read Books (then tell each other what your story was about)
  25. Write a short story or comic
  26. Play dress up 
  27. Play video games in a group, have a tournament 
  28. Make Hot Chocolate from scratch 
  29. Attend Free Movie Night at a library or community center
  30. Play a board game
  31. Build an indoor fort
  32. Colour in colouring books
  33. Make Borax Icicles
  34. Play with Bubbles inside in the bathtub
  35. Learn how to draw or paint (use Youtube videos as tutorials)
  36. Go to the library and explore
  37. Make a bird feeder (Variety of Feeders here) 
  38. Have a movie marathon day at home
  39. Learn how to sew or knit simple items
  40. Make homemade holiday ornaments or decorations
  41. Play card games like Crazy 8’s, Go FishSkip-Boetc
  42. Visit grandparents or great grandparents
  43. Write letters to grandparents or relatives
  44. Visit the zoo or a museum (watch for seasonal activities and rates)
  45. Learn to dance, ballroom or line dancing is fun. (Check on Youtube for tips and how-to’s)
  46. Make their own Youtube videos
  47. Learn a new skill on Youtube  (craft, play a song, etc)
  48. Make homemade cookies together (my easy Crinkle Cookies)
  49. Go to a local high school or college sports game 
  50. Visit local landmarks or historical monuments and learn about where you live.
  51. Go to the beach in search of shells or pebbles (the beach is so much fun in winter, a different experience for the kiddos) 
  52. Have an indoor picnic
  53. Give the kids a camera for an hour and then print off or make an online album to showcase the images.
  54. Create a scrapbook (give the kids pictures, stickers and papers to use)
  55. Make their own puzzle (kids can draw or color on cardboard and then cut into pieces, or use photos glued to popsicle sticks and cut to separate)
  56. Make sock puppets or Sock Snowmen
  57. Make homemade play dough
  58. Fill a cookie sheet with shaving cream and let them “paint” and write notes in it. Add colour with drops of food colouring.
  59. Make homemade musical instruments (tambourines, maracas, etc.)
  60. Make paper snowflakes
  61. Build an obstacle course in your yard (snow makes for a fun obstacle building medium!)
  62. Have a dance party
  63. Indoor Bowling: Use empty water/pop bottles and a tennis ball. Set up in a hallway.
  64. Box Them In! If you have a large box, put the child in the box with markers or crayons and let them decorate the walls of their box.
  65. Make a cardboard box maze indoors (kids can draw and decorate the walls of the maze as they play)
  66. Do kitchen science experiments with the kids (10 Simple Experiments)
  67. Make simple crafts with supplies around the house (Have Craft Bags ready for use when you need them)
  68. Put on a concert for the stuffed animals in the house. Line them all up like an audience.
  69. Donate toys (have the kids go through their toys and pick out what they no longer play with. Ask them if they want to gift them to someone who has no toys.)
  70. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, help serving or cooking.
  71. Visit seniors at a local nursing home. Contact them ahead of time and ask to visit someone who may not normally have visitors.

Also, for more fun ideas for Family Activities in Moncton, check out Free Things To Do In Moncton.

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