Family things to do in Winter

For many, winter weather means its time to hunker down at home, resorting to TV and computer games to keep the children occupied.  Winter weather doesn't mean that you don't have options though.  Here are a few ideas of fun things that you can do together as a family, whatever the weather, and whatever the ages of your children.

Indoor Activities

• Crafts - whether you all sit together at the table and get out the glue and scissors for a collage, or if you have an intricate family crafting project like decorating a bedroom or making scenery for the model railway.
• Board Games - we love Guess Who and Snakes and Ladders, and are just getting into Scrabble and Ludo.
• Films - snuggle up together with some popcorn and a family movie for a couple of hours.
• Books - reading books together (we're currently reading Peter Pan), or even making, writing and illustrating your own story book or comic strip.
• Computer Games - we don't have any computer games apart from the CBeebies App on the i-pad, but I know that there's plenty of family fun to be had on some XBox or Wii games.  The key is to play together.
• Music Making - not something that many families seem to get up to these days, but many adults can play a musical instrument.  A sing-song around the piano, a jam with the guitars and a home-made shaker - make music together and have a great time!

Outdoor Activities

Take warm and waterproof clothing, wellies and a flask of hot chocolate and enjoy winter in the outdoors.  We should all get out in the fresh air as often as possible in the winter to top up our Vitamin D levels, and run off a bit of energy.

• play outdoors in the woods - it doesn't matter much what the weather is doing as long as you're wrapped up in appropriate clothing.  Get out in the woods and enjoy a game of hide-and-seek in the outdoors.
• play in the snow, building snowmen or sledging - in our country (UK) we don't see snow all that predictably, so when it comes along get out there and make the most of it.  Find the fun in the white stuff.
• visit a beach - a bracing walk on a wintery beach will certainly blow the cobwebs away.  If your hands get cold, find the chip shop and warm up with a cone of chips.
• Fly a kite - you need a bit of wind, but watch out for gales!!
• Go on a bike ride - again, not so much fun in strong winds, but bracing on a sunny and clear day.

If you don't finish at home, then aim to finish at a warm cafe for hot chocolate and cake!

Activities out and about

These activities all have a cost attached to them, some more than others.

• Swimming - find a family fun session at the local pool.
• 10 pin bowling - for small children they put sides up on the lane so that they're pretty much guaranteed to hit something, and they provide a ramp to roll the ball down so that they don't even have to master the roll.
• go and watch a Rugby or Football match - it doesn't have to be a Premier League side, your local side will be fun too.  Stand with the crowd, try to work out the rules and cheer on your home side.  Finish up with some warm food and a drink in the clubhouse.
• visit an attraction - cathedral, museum, National Trust property, safari park.  While many attractions are closed or operate limited hours during the winter, there are many that are open or operate lower entrance fees.  West Midlands Safari Park, for example, is open on the weekends for safaris at reduced cost, but the funfair bit (which costs extra anyway) is closed.
• Go to the cinema - choose a family film and make an afternoon visit to the cinema with popcorn and fun.