As the festive season is approaching, little ones all over the world will be bursting with excitement for the big, red man to appear on Christmas Eve.
Although that is what children tend to look forward to most, it is also important that we still encourage outdoor play during the Christmas holidays.
The Newby Leisure team have put together a list of our five favourite, festive activities to keep toddlers and children of all ages entertained outside.
1. Christmas Tree Picking
What’s more festive than choosing your very own Christmas Tree? There really is no better way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Most towns, if not all, have a local tree farm for you take your children to pick and cut down a Christmas tree of your choice. It really is an exciting experience for children to take part in. It is a brilliant way to encourage them to get some fresh air and exercise during the cold, winter months. You could even turn it into an annual family tradition?
Take your tree home, get the decorations out of the loft, put on some Christmas music, and decorate away! Children love nothing more than to see their very own tree, lit up and decorated to their standard. It really is magical, and your home will smell divine.
Once the Christmas period is over, you do not have to dispose of your tree. If you have the space, get stuck into some nature play and plant it in the garden. Then you will have your very own, outdoor Christmas tree every single year!
2. Walking in a Winter Wonderland
We are all guilty of overindulging and taking advantage of the delicious festive food during the holidays, making it a much easier option to relax and watch a Christmas movie instead of exercising! A good way to enjoy all the above and keep fit is to wrap up warm, head to toe, and take your children on a wintery walk.
There is so much to see outdoors during the winter season such as birds’ nests, frosted roof tops, frozen lakes, and waterfalls and crispy, iced over leaves on the ground. Maybe head somewhere during the evening when the streets are full of Christmas lights and decorations? It is a great way to keep them entertained whilst increasing their physical fitness!
3. Snow Play
If you are lucky enough to experience snow where you live, take your little ones to a large space where there is lots of it and allow their imaginations to run wild!Maybe they’ll build a snowman or an igloo? Snow is a wonderful element for boosting imaginative play and role play activities at the same time as increasing muscle strength. Another creative way to play with snow is to add food colouring to it to create colourful patterns on the ground.
4. Wreath Making
Get creative with nature play and make a Christmas wreath for your home.
Take your kids out to the garden, or even for a walk to the woods, and let them collect lots of natural elements to piece together in your wreath. Be sure to go with them so they don’t choose any spikey leaves or poisonous berries!Once you have picked out your leaves, branches and pinecones etc. grab some glue and start to weave the elements into a circle. You could even add glitter or baubles to give it that magical, festive touch!
It is always a good idea to get children involved in activities including nature as it stimulates creativity and problem solving, along with increasing their concentration levels.
5. Outdoor Ice Skating
There is something about ice skating outdoors that creates such a festive feeling. Being outside in the crisp, winter air all wrapped up warm, slipping and sliding around the ice rink.
Most towns and cities have a seasonal, outdoor ice rink, usually located at a Christmas market, surrounded by twinkling lights and Christmas music. Turn it into a full family event, or even a competition to see who the best at skating is!
Don’t worry if you or your child/children cannot skate, it is more about the fun and experience. There are lots of options for children who are still learning to skate, such as buckets and braces and for adults, there is always handrails to hold onto!
Children will boost their physical ability as they glide along the ice, it is great for early years development.
Please note that you should not ice skate on a frozen river or lake, this is unsafe. Please only skate on a local ice rink, built for skating.
Thanks for reading!
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