Fun Free Winter Activities for the Whole Family

When it comes to free winter activities that the entire family can enjoy, the sky is the limit! Whether you have a limited budget, or you just like to save money, there are many activities that the entire family can enjoy. It doesn’t matter if you live in an area that is covered in snow, or somewhere that still has nice weather, there are bound to be fun things that your family can do to pass the time. Everyone can benefit from the feelings of bonding that occur when families spend time together and it is also a great way to get involved in some physical activity.

It is important for the family to have some bonding time, especially since kids grow up so quickly! Depending on the age of the family members, there are always things that can be enjoyed by everyone. From sledding to hiking to cooking to arts and crafts, there is always something that the whole family can do together. You only limit yourself by limiting the stretch of your imagination.

The first thing that you will want to do is take into consideration the interests and ages of your family members. If the majority of the family doesn’t enjoy being out in the cold, it probably isn’t a good idea to schedule a day of skiing or sledding. What might be a fun activity for the family that doesn’t like being out in the cold might be an evening of board games or charades, preparing family dinner together, or volunteering at a local charity program.

In some areas of the world, it isn’t very cold in the winter, so there are many more opportunities to spend time in the great outdoors. If you live in an area where the weather is nice in the winter, take advantage of it! There are a ton of free activities that are family oriented, including city zoos, botanical gardens, museums, science centers, bike trails, hiking trails, fishing holes, and playgrounds. Just taking a walk after dinner is also a great idea. Take your children swimming at the local indoor pool (not always free) or make play dates with friends.

There are always fun free activities that families can participate in; sometimes you just have to use your imagination. If you live in a cold climate, there are many options for activities, including: board games, hot chocolate hour, and even a family movie night (every library rents movies and they are free). You can also bundle everyone up and head out into the snow on those cold days! It’s always fun to sled and have snowball fights. You can even have a snowman building contest and tug of war in the snow!

For a great family activity, no matter what the weather, have a family dinner night. You can give everyone a special duty, from salad prep to entree help. Those that don’t want to cook can get the table ready for the meal, and everyone can pitch in with the cleanup. This will give the grown ups a little help and is a great way for the whole family to spend a little time together. It can be a simple meal, like grilled cheese and soup, or something a little more advanced, like spaghetti and garlic bread. The food you cook won’t really matter; what counts is the time you spend together!

When you have a family, it is very important to squeeze in as much bonding time as possible; before you know it, the kids will be grown and gone! Whether you have a lot of money or not, there are many fun activities to enjoy with the entire family, many of which are free. Don’t let a small budget or colder weather keep you from spending time with the whole family!

Here are some FREE family activities that you may enjoy:

� Movie Night-Rent movies from your local library, the rental is usually free and there are tons of family movies to choose from.

� Volunteer-Get the whole family involved in volunteering at a local charity event. This a great way to get the family involved in a single activity together, while helping others at the same time. A valuable lesson for most children.

� Build a snowman or sandman-Whether you live in a snowy winter wonderland or on the beach you can bond with your children by building a snowman or sandman. Sandmen are harder to build but just as much fun.

� Hiking or Biking-These are great physical activities that the whole family can enjoy together, as well as walking or jogging. If you have an active family this may be right for you.

� Free family activities are offered at a number of stores like the Home Depot and Michaels. These are usually best for small children as you will be building bird houses, magnets, arts and crafts, and the like.

� Obstacle Course-You can set this up right in your own backyard using garden hoses, lawn chairs, and sports equipment. It is even more fun if you play teams and add things like an egg drop or three legged race.

� Redecorate your family room-This is a great way to get everyone involved in creating a recreational space in your home. Let your children paint, help you put together furniture, and pick out items for the room. This is a great family activity because everyone can get involved in a project that they will use and be proud of. Try making a mural on the wall that everyone adds to or let your children design art work for the room.

âÂ?¢ Make Family Dinner Together-Everyone gets a job. Your youngest ones can set the table while your teens can make salad or pasta, and you and your husband can make the entrÃ?©e. Or, you can let your children prepare you a meal – just make sure you supervise them or you will have a surprise dinner that you may not want to eat!

� Arts and Crafts-This project is not exactly free but it can be more cost effective than dinner and a movie. Try to incorporate your family values into the project, as well as love and sharing.